What's the Frequency, Sam?
by Supervillegirl
Summary: Sam and Dean discover a phenomenon on the radio when the aurora borealis shows up. Season 3 story.
1. Chapter 1

What's the Frequency, Sam?

**FanFiction is having trouble publishing my story for some reason. I'm gonna keep trying until it works.**

Sam and Dean opened the door to their father's lock-up in Black Rock.

"Why are we back here, Sam?" asked Dean.

"Maybe there's something in here that can help," said Sam. "Any weapons or information that Dad kept to himself."

"Really?" said Dean, looking among the shelves.

Sam walked along one of the back shelves, searching it. "You never know…" He stared at the bottom shelf.

"What is it?" asked Dean, heading over to him.

"Isn't that Dad's old HAM radio?" asked Sam.

Dean crouched down on the floor, looking closely at it. "Yeah…I think so." He pulled the radio off the shelf and stood up. "I haven't seen this thing in, like, twenty-five years. He used to let me talk on it sometimes. Mom kind of enjoyed it."

"She did?" asked Sam in confusion.

"Yeah, she used to get on it a lot, talk to people," said Dean. "Never really knew who, though."

"Should we take it with us?" asked Sam.

Dean frowned at him. "Why?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know…might be useful."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Whatever floats your boat. Me, I'm gonna search for actual weapons." He set the radio down on a table.

Sam watched Dean move off to search the lock-up, but Sam walked over to the radio, running his hand over it. He couldn't really put his finger on it, but he had a feeling that he should take it with him. Ten minutes later, Dean headed back to the door of the lock-up.

"Nothing," said Dean. "Let's go."

"Nothing?" asked Sam.

"Well…" shrugged Dean, reaching into his pocket, "this…" He pulled out a necklace with a pendant of angel wings hanging on the chain.

Sam stepped closer, frowning. "Why would Dad have a necklace?"

"It was Mom's," Dean told him.

Sam looked up at Dean and back at the necklace. "Mom's?"

"Yeah," said Dean. "That whole 'angels are watching over us' thing. She wore this thing every day. It was in the back with all of our stuff."

Sam nodded, staring at the necklace.

"Here," said Dean, tossing it at him.

Sam caught the necklace, looking up at Dean.

"You hang onto it," said Dean, walking past Sam.

Sam put the necklace safely in his pocket and grabbed the radio with its microphone, following Dean out to the car.

*****************************************************SPN****************************************************************************

Dean walked into the motel room with a bag of takeout to see Sam fiddling with switches on the radio.

"Are you seriously still messing with that?" asked Dean, closing the door.

"Yeah," said Sam. "I think I almost have it." He flipped a switch, and static began coming through the radio's speakers. He pulled the microphone towards him, pushing the button. "Hello? Anyone there?"

"Dude, who still uses those things?" asked Dean.

"Hunters, for one thing," Sam muttered, turning a dial to get a different frequency. "Hello? Is anyone on the air?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Man, quit messing with that thing. You gotta check this out." He headed to the window, glancing up at the sky. "It's the aurora borealis." He looked over to see Sam still messing with the radio. "Dude, rare cosmological event happening right now."

"They're not rare," said Sam. "They happen around the fall and spring equinoxes. And they're not cosmological; they're astronomical."

Dean frowned. "Isn't that the same thing?"

"Cosmology deals with the universe as a whole," Sam explained. "Astronomy deals with the study of celestial objects, such as planetary phenomena."

The radio whined as static spurted from the speaker.

"_Zero…L…"_

Sam pressed the button on the microphone. "Hello? Are you there?"

Static whined before a voice came through the speaker.

"_Hello?"_ said a woman's voice. Her voice sounded so soft and melodic.

"Hi," said Sam. "Can you hear me?"

"_Yeah," _said the woman. _"I can hear you. Where am I getting you from?"_

"New York," said Sam. "What about you?"

"_Kansas,"_ said the woman. _"Born and raised."_

"Huh," said Sam. "Me, too. Except for the raised part."

Dean rolled his eyes and headed into the kitchen area to eat his food, leaving the bag with Sam's food in it next to the radio.

"_Really?" _asked the woman. _"We got any other things in common?"_

"Well, I don't suppose you like sports?" asked Sam with a chuckle.

"_Actually, I do," _said the woman.

"Really?" said Sam, honestly surprised.

"_Yeah, I'm kind of a tomboy. My mom and dad raised me to be tough. I ended up watching sports with my dad a lot."_

"What's your favorite?"

"_Um…I guess that'd be football."_

Sam smiled. "Did you catch the game Monday night?"

"_Oh, yeah. That was some nice offense."_

"Tell me about it. It's looking like they might make it to the playoffs."

"_Really?"_ She sounded confused. _"I wouldn't think so. Game ended up pretty even."_

Sam frowned. "They won by six points."

"_What game were you watching? They tied."_

Sam decided to move on from that subject. She was probably talking about college football or something. "Right. Well, one of 'em is bound to win the Halas Trophy this year."

Static overcame the speaker momentarily, but Sam tuned the radio a little.

"_Halas Trophy? What are you talking about?"_

Sam frowned. "The George Halas Trophy…the one they give to the NFC champion."

"_Since when do they give out a trophy?"_

"Since 1984…" said Sam, frowning as he listened to this woman. _She must not really be that into sports if she doesn't know about that…_

"_Oh, really? 1984, huh? And why do they call it the George Halas Trophy? He's the coach of the Chicago Bears."_

"Yeah, two decades ago. He kind of died."

"_Oh, sure, he died. When did that happen?"_

"October 31—" Sam began.

"_October 31st? You're saying…and he's…"_

Sam adjusted the tuning on the radio. "Hello? Can you hear me? Hello?"

Static overran the speakers, so Sam turned the volume down a little and grabbed his food from the table, heading over to where Dean was.

"So, did you find your damsel in distress, Romeo?" asked Dean through a mouthful of burger.

"Very funny," said Sam. He sat down on the table, opening up the bag. "You know, it was kind of weird…"

"Weird, how?" asked Dean. "Weird, as in, there's a giant dog monster living in my fridge?"

Sam rolled his eyes as he pulled his salad out. "For someone who's a football fan, she apparently doesn't watch the NFC."

"She doesn't?" asked Dean.

"No," said Sam. "And she knew who George Halas was—you know, the coach of—"

"Chicago Bears," Dean finished. "I know."

"But she didn't know that he had died twenty-four years ago," said Sam. He frowned, realizing what the date was. "Twenty-four years ago tonight, actually."

"So, she's not a die-hard football fan," shrugged Dean. "Big deal."

Sam looked over at the radio, frowning. "Yeah…I guess…" He went back to his meal, but had a weird feeling in the back of his mind.

Neither of them noticed the aurora borealis beginning to disappear in the sky overhead.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"_W…L…C…there?"_

Sam rolled over, looking over at the radio as it lit up and began emitting static. He sat up, frowning at it.

"_W0 LRC, here. Are you there, New York?"_

Sam climbed out of bed and approached the radio, pressing the button on the microphone. "Hey…it's me."

"_Hey," _said the woman's voice. _"Is that you?"_

"Yeah," said Sam, sitting down at the desk. He looked up to see that Dean's bed was empty; he was probably out getting them breakfast and letting Sam sleep.

"_How did you do it?"_ asked the woman. Her voice sounded awestruck and slightly wary.

"How'd I do what?" asked Sam.

"_How did you know it would happen?"_ asked the woman. Her voice then lowered, as though sharing a secret. _"Are you a psychic?"_

Sam's eyes widened, staring at the speaker in shock. "You believe in psychics?"

"_Well, I've run across a few in my line of work…"_ the woman said evasively.

Sam's eyes widened further, realization dawning on him. "You're a hunter?"

The woman hesitated. _"Hunter? Um…You mean, like, deer hunting?"_

"No, a _hunter_," said Sam. "I'm a hunter, too."

"_You are?"_ asked the woman. _"So…you went and saw a psychic, or something?"_

"Why do you keep asking that?" asked Sam. "Why would I have to be psychic?"

"_Well, how else would you predict George Halas' death?"_ asked the woman.

"Predict it?" asked Sam, sincerely confused.

"_Yeah," _said the woman. _"I saw it on the morning news. George Halas died yesterday."_

"Yesterday?" said Sam. "He died twenty-four years ago."

"_Twenty-four years ago?"_ said the woman. _"What are you talking about? He died last night."_

Static began to filter through the speakers, beginning to drown out her voice.

"Last night?" said Sam. "He died on October thirty—"

"—_first, 1983," _said the woman, her voice barely audible over the static. _"Last night. How did you…"_

Static overran the speakers as the woman's voice was drowned out.

"Hello?" said Sam, trying to tune out the static on the radio. "Are you there?"

It was no use; the signal was gone.

The door opened, and Dean walked in with a bag of food, looking over at Sam at the desk.

Dean rolled his eyes as he closed the door. "You're still messing with that thing?"

"Dean, I think something weird is going on," said Sam.

"What do you mean?" asked Dean, setting the bag on the desk next to the radio.

"I think this woman I'm talking to…I think she's in the past," said Sam.

Dean stared at him. "The past?"

"She asked me if I was psychic," said Sam. "She wanted to know how I knew George Halas was gonna die. She claims that the morning news she watched told her he had died last night. Right before the signal failed, she said it was 1983."

"1983?" asked Dean. "Maybe you misheard her. The signal was going, after all."

"She's also a hunter," said Sam.

"A hunter?" asked Dean.

"Yeah," said Sam. "She's a hunter…in 1983."

Dean frowned. "How is that even possible? It's just a freaking radio."

Sam shrugged. "You tell me…"

Dean narrowed his eyes, studying the radio before shrugging. "Maybe it's filled with plutonium."

********************************************SPN*****************************************************************

"New York?" asked Mary Winchester. "New York, you there?"

John walked over to the desk by the front window. "Who ya talking to?"

Mary looked up at her husband. "No one, apparently. Just lost the signal."

John frowned, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay? You look a little spooked."

Mary smiled up at him. "Oh, I'm fine."

"Well, Dean's jumping around the backyard, yelling for us to get out there," said John.

"Oh, really?" said Mary. "And why would that be?"

"He claims he's Chuck Norris," smiled John.

Mary rolled her eyes as she stood up. "I blame you for watching those Chuck Norris movies with him lately."

"Hey, every guy has to be introduced to Chuck Norris at some point," said John. "Don't worry. I made sure they weren't too indecent for him."

Mary walked over to the baby bouncer in the living room near the couch, squatting down in front of it. "Hey, Sammy!" She reached forward, unbuckling six-month-old Sam from the bouncer and pulling him into her arms. "Let's go see what your brother's up to."

She and John headed for the backyard, walking through the screen door to find four-year-old Dean swinging his clenched fists at the air.

"Take that!" Dean exclaimed with a smile on his face. "And that! Yay!" He raised his arms over his head, jumping up and down. "I Chuck Norris!"

Mary smiled as she and John laughed.

Dean spun towards them. "Mommy! Daddy! You see that?"

"We sure did," said John. "That was awesome!"

"Yeah!" Dean ran over to the porch as Mary knelt in front of him. He put a hand on Sam's small one that stuck out of the blanket he was wrapped in. "I protect Sammy forever!"

"Yes, you will, sweetie," said Mary, wrapping an arm around her eldest son. "Yes, you will."

******************************************************SPN*******************************************************************************************

"So, how could this radio be talking to someone from 1983?" asked Dean, sitting on the bed and cleaning his guns.

"Well, actually I've been researching radio signal disturbances," said Sam in front of his laptop. "Turns out, the aurora borealis first appeared yesterday afternoon, and last night was the first conversation I had with her. An aurora is a light display caused by the collision of energetic particles with atoms in the atmosphere. The charged particles originate in the magnetosphere and solar wind, directed by the earth's magnetic field. Large magnetic fluctuations occur, where large electric currents flow in the atmosphere. The magnetosphere and solar wind consists of plasma, which conducts electricity. The solar wind and the magnetosphere are two electrically conducting fluids and should be able to generate electric currents by 'dynamo action,' in the process—"

"Okay, English, Sam," Dean told him.

Sam sighed. "An aurora causes disruption in the magnetosphere, emitting electrical currents. It's a naturally occurring phenomenon coming from the sun's solar winds. The solar winds combined with the disrupted magnetic fields must cause a time anomaly. Either way, I think that this is real."

"You think that the crazy woman on the other end of the radio is in the past?" asked Dean skeptically.

"What do you suggest?" asked Sam.

"Something that doesn't sound insane," said Dean, putting the pistol back together.

"Dean, our entire life is insane," Sam pointed out.

"Well…if this is happening, why?" asked Dean. "I mean, the universe doesn't just hand out a time portal for no reason."

"Who knows," said Sam. "Maybe she's on a hunt that we can help with."

"Maybe," shrugged Dean, picking up another pistol to clean. "Try to contact her again."

Sam got up from the table and headed over to the desk, sitting down in front of it and pressing the microphone button. "Hello?"

Static answered him.

"Are you there, ma'am?" asked Sam.

After another five minutes to trying, there was still no answer.

"Alright, try again tonight," said Dean, putting together the last pistol.

Sam flipped the tuning switch a little before getting up from the desk.

*********************************************************SPN*********************************************************************

After getting off of work at the garage, John greeted his wife, who sat on the couch in the living room. He walked into the living room, where Sam lay on a blanket in front of the couch, waving a set of plastic keys over his head.

John picked his son up and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. "How's my boy?" He tickled at Sam's little tummy as he held him. "I got ya!"

Sam giggled as he waved his little hands at his father.

John raised his hand over Sam. "I…got ya!" He dove his hand down on Sam's tummy, tickling him again.

Sam giggled, his toothless smile grinning up at his father. John looked down at Mary to see that she was staring distantly at the wall. John sat down next to her.

"Are you okay?" John asked her, cradling Sam close in his arms.

Mary jolted herself and looked over at him. "What?"

"Are you doing okay?" John asked her.

Mary nodded. "Yeah…I just…I'm just thinking…"

She had been wondering about the guy on the radio all day long. She hadn't been able to get him back on the radio all day long. His signal was out, or something. It was kind of strange. The guy seemed sincere, but why couldn't he just tell her he went to see a psychic? I mean, they both knew that they were hunters. What was the harm? And he sounded confused whenever she mentioned the year. Just what was the guy's deal?

John glanced around the living room, but did not see his eldest son. "Where's Dean?"

"In his room," said Mary. "He's playing with his cars."

"Well, how about we go say hi," John told Sam, getting up from the couch and heading to his son's room.

Mary watched them go before heading over into the kitchen to begin getting dinner ready. As she let the water boil before she put the pasta in, she glanced over at the radio on the desk in the living room. If she could get him on the radio again, she was going to get down to business.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Sam looked out the motel window, looking up at the aurora borealis. It shimmered in green and aqua above them, pulsing.

"_Hello?"_

Sam spun around, staring at the radio.

"_New York, are you there?"_

Sam looked up at Dean before heading over to the desk and sitting in front of it. Dean joined him, standing next to the chair.

"Hello?" Sam asked.

"_New York, is that you?"_ the female hunter asked.

"Yeah, it's me," said Sam.

"_Can I get a name?"_ asked the hunter.

"Sam," he answered.

"Are you really in 1983?" Dean asked suddenly.

Sam glared up at him, jaw clenched.

"_Excuse me?"_ the woman asked.

"Sorry," said Sam, turning back to the microphone. "That's my brother Dean. He's a bit blunt."

"_Sam and Dean, huh?"_ said the woman. _"And you're both hunters?"_

"Yeah," said Sam.

"_What was that about 1983?"_ asked the woman. _"Why wouldn't it be 1983? And why do you keep freaking out when I mention that?"_

Sam sighed. "I'm not sure how to tell you this, but…we're in the future."

The woman paused for a while. _"You're what?"_

"Look, I know that sounds completely insane," said Dean. "How do you think we feel? You keep saying it's 1983, and we're in 2007."

"_2007?"_ said the woman in disbelief. _"You expect me to believe that?"_

"Hey, we're all hunters here," said Dean. "Is it really that far out there?"

"_You're talking about time travel," _said the woman.

"Not technically," Sam explained. "A time anomaly. We're only talking over a radio in separate times."

"_And how do you explain this magic time radio?"_ asked the woman.

"The aurora borealis doesn't happen to be out in your time, does it?" asked Sam.

There was a pause and the sound of a chair moving. A second later, it sounded like she sat back down.

"_Yes,"_ said the woman.

"It's out here, too," said Sam. "The aurora borealis is messing with the magnetic field and electric currents in the atmosphere. Along with the solar winds causing it, it must have created this time anomaly."

"_Then how come it hasn't been reported before?"_ asked the woman.

"Well, it's happening at the exact same moment twenty-four years apart," said Sam. "I mean, what time is it there?"

"_9:23,"_ answered the woman.

"At night, right?" asked Sam.

"_Yeah,"_ said the woman.

"It's 9:23 P.M. for us, too," said Dean. "November 1, 2007. And it's November 1, 1983 for you, isn't it?"

"_Yeah,"_ said the woman. _"Exactly twenty-four years apart…"_

"So, you believe us?" asked Sam.

"_You believe you?"_ asked the woman skeptically.

"Not entirely sure yet," muttered Dean.

"_Mommy…"_ said a small voice on the speaker.

The woman's voice weakened a little, as though she had leaned away from the microphone. _"What is it, sweetie?"_

"_I can't sleep,"_ said the little boy.

"_Oh, why not?"_ asked the woman.

"_The monsters are under my bed…"_ said the little boy.

"_Oh…"_ said the woman. There was a shuffle: probably the woman picking her son up. _"Sweetie, there is nothing under your bed."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_I hunted them down."_

The little boy giggled. _"Really?"_

"_Oh, yeah,"_ said the woman. _"Nothing is getting you."_

"_I love you, Mommy,"_ said the little boy.

"_I love you, too, Dean,"_ said the woman.

Sam and Dean looked at each other, frowning at her son's name.

"_I'll be up in a minute to tuck you in,"_ said the woman as the sounds of her setting him down came over the speakers. _"Go give Sammy a kiss for me."_

"_Okay, Mommy,"_ said the little boy.

Sam and Dean's eyes widened at the word "Sammy."

"_Come on, Dean," _said a man's voice distantly on the speakers.

Sam and Dean's eyes widened even further at the sound of that voice. They hadn't heard that voice in over a year.

"_Time for bed,"_ said the man.

"_Daddy!"_ exclaimed the little boy.

"_Hey, buddy,"_ said the man. _"Come on, let's get you and your brother upstairs."_

"_Be up in a minute, John,"_ said the woman. Her voice grew a little bit louder as she turned back to the microphone. _"Okay, your theory is that the aurora borealis is causing a time anomaly?"_

"Uh…yeah…" said Sam. "What did you say your name was, again?"

"_Mary Winchester,"_ said the woman.

Sam and Dean looked at each other, stunned. They were talking to a woman from 1983 named Mary Winchester with a husband named John and two boys named Sam and Dean…It couldn't be true.

"_Hello?"_ said Mary.

Sam turned back to the microphone. "Your name is Mary Winchester, you live in Kansas, your husband's name is John, and your boys names are Sam and Dean."

"_Yeah, what a coincidence, huh?"_ said Mary.

"What are your call letters?" asked Sam, looking over at a piece of duct tape on top of the radio that showed their radio's call numbers: W0 LRC.

"_W0 LRC,"_ Mary answered.

Sam looked over at Dean; they were using the exact same radio she was.

"Alright, you're gonna think that I'm totally nuts…" began Sam. "But we're your sons."

"_Oh, very funny,"_ said Mary. _"A nice play on your names being the same as my children's."_

"We're not kidding," said Dean. "You live in Lawrence, Kansas, 261 Rawlings St. My name is Dean Andrew Winchester. I was born January 24, 1979. My brother's name is Samuel Ryan Winchester. He was born May 2, 1983. Our father's name is John Brett Winchester. He was born December 8, 1954. Our mother's name is Mary Lara Winchester. She was born March 27, 1956."

"_Alright, this isn't funny,"_ said Mary.

"Every night before you would tuck us in, you would tell us that angels were watching over us," Dean told her. "When I would get sick, you would make me tomato rice soup. 'Cause it's what your mother used to make you. And instead of a lullaby, you would sing 'Hey, Jude.' It's your favorite Beatles song."

"_This is unbelievable…"_ said Mary.

"I mean, come on, you're a hunter," said Dean. "Why can't you believe…" His eyes widened. "Wait a minute." He leaned forward on the desk, frowning. "You're a hunter?" He glanced over at Sam. "Mom was a hunter?"

"_See, that's why this can't be true,"_ said Mary. _"I would never raise my kids as hunters. That was what I promised to myself when I got out of the life. I promised that my kids would never be raised how I was."_

"Well, see, that's kind of the thing," said Sam. He hesitated. "You didn't raise us."

"_What are you talking about?"_ asked Mary.

"It was the night of my six month birthday," began Sam. He froze, his eyes widening. "Wait a minute…November 2…"

"What?" asked Dean.

Sam looked up at him. "November 2! It's tomorrow! It's November 1, 1983 for her!"

Dean's eyes widened, and he immediately turned towards the microphone. "You get us and Dad out of there and run! Now!"

"_What?"_ said Mary.

"A demon is coming after you tomorrow night!" Sam warned her. "You have to go!"

"_A demon?"_ asked Mary. _"What are you talking about?"_

"A demon comes into Sam's nursery and then kills you!" Dean told her. "You have to get out of there!"

"_Hey, you stay away from my son!"_ Mary yelled into the microphone.

Static began to overrun the speakers.

"No, you have to listen to us!" said Sam. "Get out of there, now!"

"_I catch you anywhere near my family, and I will hunt you till the day I day, you hear me!" _said Mary.

"That's going to be tomorrow unless you get Sam and stay out of the nursery!" Dean yelled as static overcame the speakers. "Hello?"

There was no response.

Dean looked up at the sky through the window to see the aurora borealis beginning to fade and dim. "Dammit!"

Sam sighed, sinking down into his chair. "You think she'll listen?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know."

*************************************************SPN*********************************************************************************

Mary stared in anger at the radio in front of her.

"Mary?" asked John.

Mary glanced up at him. John was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking worriedly at her.

"Argument," Mary covered. "Guy was talking bad about football."

John smiled and shook his head good-naturedly as he walked towards her. "You and your football…"

"Hey, you're just as bad as me," said Mary, meeting him halfway in the living room.

John wrapped his arms around Mary's waist. "Yeah, but you're a tomboy. Those are the worst football fans."

Mary leaned up and gave him a kiss. "Are the boys asleep?"

"Yep, sound asleep," said John.

"Thank you," said Mary. "I'm gonna go give 'em a kiss goodnight."

"Alright," said John, giving her another kiss.

Mary walked past John and headed up the stairs, walking around the banister on the second floor and heading for Dean's bedroom. She opened the door and stared down at her son, thinking about the bizarre conversation she'd just had.

_Could they really be telling the truth?_ Mary wondered. _After all, they'd said their names were Sam and Dean before I even told them I had two sons named Sam and Dean…_

But didn't necessarily mean they were her sons. They could have been watching the house and her family for some time. Not to mention the fact that they're hunters, and hunting ran in her family.

_But I swore that my children would not be cursed like me,_ Mary thought. _I __promised__._

But they did say that Mary hadn't raised them. If a demon had killed her, John would have raised them. If John found out about the supernatural world, he would surely become a hunter to get revenge.

_I just don't know…_ Mary thought as she walked into the room and placed a soft kiss on Dean's forehead, pulling the blanket up higher on him.

Mary closed the door and walked down the hall to the nursery across from her and John's room. She opened the door and headed over to the crib, standing at the railing and smiling down at her infant son.

_Could it really be…_ Mary wondered.

She leaned down and placed a light kiss on Sam's forehead, silently heading back out of the nursery and closing the door.

Mary headed towards her room to get ready to sleep. _It's impossible…But, then, again, didn't I used to specialize in the impossible?_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

**Sorry for the delay. Vacation and then sick, ugh! This chapter has been itching to get out of my head.**

Mary spent the day playing with her children, watching over them and having fun. She tried not to think about what those psychos had been saying to her. It was obviously not true. There was no way that her sons were talking to her from the future.

At about seven o'clock that night, Mary got up from the couch as John got absorbed in the movie he was watching.

"I'm gonna put the boys to bed," Mary told him.

John smiled up at her. "You need some help?"

"No, I think I'll be fine," Mary assured him.

"Alright," said John. "I'll be up in a minute to say goodnight."

"Okay, honey," said Mary, picking Sam up from the blanket on the floor.

She took Sam upstairs to his nursery, placing him in his crib before heading back downstairs.

Mary approached the dining room table, where Dean was coloring a picture. "Dean, time for bed."

"Aw…five more minutes?" Dean asked her.

Mary smiled. "Tell you what. Daddy will tell you a great bedtime story if you go to bed."

Dean smiled. "Okay!" He hopped off of the chair and over to Mary.

Mary picked him up, holding him in her arms. "Alright, sweetie. Let's go upstairs." She walked up the stairs and headed past Dean's room, heading for Sam's nursery. "Come on, let's say goodnight to your brother." She flipped on the lights of the nursery and set Dean down.

Dean walked over to the crib, stepping up on a stool and leaning over the railing. "Night, Sam." He placed a small kiss on the baby's forehead.

Mary walked over and stood next to Dean, placing her hand lovingly on Sam's forehead. "Goodnight, love." She kissed Sam's forehead.

"Hey, Dean."

Dean turned and saw John standing in the doorway. "Daddy!" He ran towards his father.

"Hey, buddy," said John, picking Dean up into his arms. "What do you think? Ya think Sammy's ready to toss around a football yet?"

"No, Daddy," laughed Dean.

"No!" said John.

Mary walked over to them, placing a hand on Dean's back. "You got him?"

"I got him," John assured her as she walked out of the room. He held Dean close to him, hugging him as he glanced over at the crib. "Sweet dreams, Sam."

John turned and headed out of the nursery, turning the light off. He headed towards Dean's room, turning the light on. He began spinning Dean around a little. "And he comes in for a landing…" He swooped down on the bed, letting Dean bounce a little.

Dean giggled as he flopped onto the bed. "Again, Daddy, again!"

"Again, huh?" said John as Mary stood in the doorway, watching with a smile.

John scooped Dean up and raised him into the air, letting him fall back onto the bed. Dean giggled again, throwing his head back.

Mary walked over to the bed, pulling the covers up over Dean. "Goodnight, baby."

"Night, Mommy," said Dean, snuggling into the covers.

"I'm gonna head to bed, John," Mary told him.

"Alright, I'll be back up in a while," said John.

Mary walked out of the room, listening as John began to tell Dean a story. She headed over to their bedroom across from the nursery, she looked back at the open doorway, watching worriedly as Sam slept. She glanced back at Dean's room once last time before coming to a decision.

Mary snuck past Dean's doorway and headed down the stairs, heading for a small cupboard under their stairs. She turned on the light and headed inside a little to get to the back wall. She grabbed for the hidden latch and pulled the back wall open, revealing her arsenal. Deep down, she always knew that she would need it. Even when a hunter retires, they never retire. They are always prepared for the unexpected, ready to defend themselves from whatever might come after them.

Mary grabbed a shotgun, loading some salt shells into it and grabbing some extra. She didn't really believe what the two "future boys" had said, but it never hurt to be cautious, just in case. And when she didn't need to use the gun by morning, she would prove them wrong.

After grabbing a bag of salt and placing it just inside the cupboard door, she hid the arsenal once again and climbed out of the cupboard. She snuck back up the stairs, praying that she wouldn't run into John on the way. Thankfully, John was still telling his story to Dean. Mary got to her bedroom, putting the extra shells in the bedside drawers. Not wanting John to see the shotgun and ask questions, she leaned it against the bed between the frame and the drawers on her side, handle-up.

Mary plucked the baby monitor off of the drawers and turned it on, turning it all the way up.

*********************************************************************SPN*************************************************************************************************************************

Sam and Dean sat at a table in a bar, both staring at the table in silence. Both of them could feel the weight of the night bearing down on them, and both of them wondered if their plan had really worked.

"So, what now?" Sam finally asked.

Dean looked up at him. "What?"

Sam looked at him. "You think it worked? You think she listened to us?"

"Well, we'll know soon enough," said Dean.

"We will?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, I mean…" began Dean. "Whatever this thing is, everything is happening at the same time, right? It's happening at exactly the same moment, just twenty-four years apart. So, nothing's probably gonna happen until the time the demon actually comes to the house. If nothing happens by the end of the night…then we know."

Sam nodded, looking back down at his drink. "What do you think will happen?"

Dean frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Do you think Mom will just…appear?" asked Sam. "You think Dad will be back? Will we get all new memories and just forget everything that's happened since Mom died? I mean…" he sighed, "how many things would change if Mom never died?"

Dean looked down at his drink, shrugging. "No clue…"

Sam sighed before looking back at Dean. "Do you know what time the fire happened?"

"Well…" began Dean, "according to the report, it started around, uh, 8:15 or so."

Sam looked down at his watch, which read 7:45. He sighed, going back to his beer.

Dean frowned. "There's just one thing I still can't really believe."

Sam looked at him. "What's that?"

Dean took a drink of his beer. "Mom…a hunter. How did we never know?"

"Well…it sounds like she ran away from that life," said Sam. "She said she didn't want her kids to be raised like that, but when she died…" He shrugged.

"Well…" sighed Dean, "she'll have to get back into the life now."

********************************************************************************SPN*******************************************************************************

Mary hadn't been able to sleep at all since climbing into bed. She was too busy worrying about what might happen that night. It felt like she had been lying there awake for hours. John was still downstairs, probably having fallen asleep in front of the TV; he had a bad habit of doing that on the weekdays. Mary lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling, waiting and hoping.

Something suddenly caught her ear…the sound of a baby crying. Mary glanced over at the baby monitor. It was lighting up as Sam cried a little. But the sound was distorted, as though there was some sort of interference on the monitor.

Mary's heart nearly stopped. "EVP…" Her eyes widened. "No…"

She reached over the side of the bed, grabbing hold of the shotgun as she jumped up from the mattress.

**********************************************************************SPN**********************************************************************************************

Dean's eyes widened as different things flashed through his mind: images that he'd never seen before.

A creepy man standing over two bodies on the ground, a brunette woman cooking dinner in a strange house, sitting in front of a computer while tracking his brother down, carrying his infant brother out of a burning warehouse, the creepy man standing over his baby brother with an arm raised, discovering the world of the supernatural and training himself to be a hunter…

****************************************************************SPN*********************************************************************************************************************************

Mary grabbed the extra shells from the drawers and darted towards the doorway, standing at the wall. She took a deep breath and quickly turned, aiming her shotgun across the hall into Sam's nursery. A shadowed figure was standing over Sam's crib. Mary's eyes widened as she silently snuck up to the wall next to the doorway. She held the shotgun close, preparing herself.

***************************************************************************************SPN**********************************************************************************

Sam clenched onto the table as memories filled his mind also.

A man and a woman helping him to ride his new bike, the same couple putting a birthday cake on the table as other kids gathered around to wish him happy birthday, his brother coming to find him one day and taking him with him to hunt, a man with yellow eyes visiting him in a dream, the discovery of his psychic dreams…

***********************************************************************************SPN***************************************************************************************************

Mary took another breath and spun into the doorway, raising the shotgun up and aiming it at the man. She pulled the trigger, and the shot hit the man in the back. He yelled in pain as he disappeared in a rush of smoke. Mary held the shotgun up, pointing it all around the room as she approached the crib. She looked down into the crib to see that Sam was fine.

"Mary!"

Mary heard John running up the stairs in response to the shot.

"Mary!" John yelled, running into the doorway.

"Shh!" warned Mary, still looking around the room.

It couldn't have been that easy to get rid of a demon. It couldn't have been…

"Mary, what are you—" began John, starting to head for the crib.

"Stop!" hissed Mary, backing up into the corner so she could see the whole room.

John froze, looking at the shotgun and back to the crib. The figure suddenly appeared behind John, raising his arm towards him.

"John, drop!" yelled Mary.

John immediately heeded her warning, and Mary shot another salt round into the figure, who disappeared again in a yell. John slowly pulled himself to his feet, staring in shock at where the guy had been standing.

"What did you…" said John. "How…What was that thing?"

"John, take Sam downstairs," Mary told him, still tense. "I'll follow behind you with Dean. There's a bag of salt in the cupboard under the stairs. Make a circle with it in the living room and get inside. Whatever you do, do not break the circle."

"Mary—" began John, extremely confused.

"Go, John," Mary told him sternly.

John grabbed Sam out of the crib and ran out of the room. Mary backed out of the nursery, heading down the hall towards Dean's room. She shook her son from his sleep.

"Dean, come on," said Mary. "We need to go."

"Mom…" moaned Dean, slowly opening his eyes.

"Dean, come on, baby," said Mary. "We have to go downstairs right now."

Dean climbed out of his bed as Mary took hold of his hand, pulling him with her towards the stairs. As she led Dean down the stairs, the light at the end of the upstairs hallway began to flicker.

"Come on, Dean," said Mary urgently. "We need to go."

She hurried down the stairs as her son kept pace with her. She found John in the living room, pouring out the last of the salt circle in front of the couch. He clutched Sam to his chest protectively.

"Alright, get inside this circle," Mary told Dean. "Stay with Daddy."

Dean clutched at his father as John knelt down next to him.

"Mary, what's going on?" asked John as he held his sons close to him.

Mary headed for the open cupboard under the stairs and opened the hidden compartment, revealing the weapons.

John stared wide-eyed at the arsenal. "Mary…"

"Not now, John," Mary told him as she pulled out some more shotguns and salt shells.

She pulled out a gallon of holy water and an iron crowbar. She also grabbed a can of spray paint, rushing back into the living room as a wind began to pick up in the room.

John glanced around in confusion. "Mary, tell me what's going on."

Mary stepped into the circle and held out a shotgun towards him. "I need your help."

John frowned. "What?"

"I need you to cover me," said Mary. "Just point and shoot."

"Shoot?" asked John. "Mary, that's—"

"You know as well as I do that this thing is not human," said Mary. "I know you're confused, but I will explain later. Right now, I need you to trust me…for Sam and Dean."

John glanced at the shotgun again and turned towards Dean. "Take your brother, Dean. I want you to stay inside the circle, okay? Do not move, you got me?"

Dean nodded as John carefully handed his brother to him. John stood and took the shotgun from Mary. Mary then held out some salt shells, which John loaded into the shotgun and stuffed the rest into the pocket of his robe. Mary began loading her own gun, looking around in trepidation. She grabbed the crowbar, holding it out to John.

"If you run out of ammo, just swing," said Mary. "Don't let it near the boys, and don't let it stop me."

John nodded, watching in confusion as Mary took the paint can out and headed over to the other side of the living room. She began to spray paint something onto the floor.

The figure suddenly appeared in the living room archway, smirking at John. John immediately raised the shotgun to his face, bracing it against his shoulder. He fired off a round, hitting the demon squarely in the chest. He disappeared in a yell once again as John cocked the shotgun, aiming it around the room vigilantly.

Mary looked up at him, watching as something seemed to click inside of John. _They were right…He really is a hunter, isn't he?_

Mary went back to drawing the devil's trap, painting as fast as she could.

"Mary, down!" John yelled.

Mary ducked her head down as a lamp flew over her head. She immediately went back to the devil's trap, putting the last touches on it. She jumped up from the trap and headed back to the salt circle, cocking her shotgun.

Someone sighed long and hard. John and Mary both swung their shotguns towards the foyer where the sound had come from. Someone walked out into the archway, shaking their head.

"Mary, Mary, Mary…" sighed the man. He turned towards them, his head still lowered towards the floor. "It's been a while…hasn't it?" He looked up at them, his eyes shining yellow.

Mary's jaw dropped. "You…"

"Yes," the Yellow-Eyed Demon smiled, stepping further into the room. "Me."

John raised the shotgun to shoot, but Mary stilled him with her hand.

Yellow-Eyes smiled and crossed his arms. "My, my. What a nice little family you have here. I can see why you left the life." His eyes landed on Sam and slowly swept up to Mary. "We had a deal, Mary. I give you back your darling fiancé…" he glanced over at John, "and I get your permission in ten years." He looked back at Mary and her shotgun. "This doesn't look like permission, Mary."

Mary glared at him. "You really think I would give you permission to take my son?"

"Oh, no, you can keep your son," said Yellow-Eyes, pacing around the circle. "Let him live his life and grow up big and strong…into the true hunter he was meant to be." He looked down at the infant, leering at him. "I just want to give him a boost."

"Like hell," spat Mary, pulling her flask out and flinging the holy water at the demon.

Yellow-Eyes stared at her before breaking out in laughter.

Mary stared in confusion. "But…the holy water…"

"You think that piss water would actually work on something like me?" smirked Yellow-Eyes. "I thought you learned that lesson ten years ago."

"Go to hell," Mary growled at him.

The playful smile fell from the demon's face, turning into a shrug. "Well, if you really want out of this deal so bad…" his eyes swept over to John, "I can arrange that."

A wicked smile twisted the demon's face as he raised a hand towards John. Mary raised her gun, shooting the demon over and over. Each hit of salt caused him to stagger back and yell in pain. The demon stumbled back as Mary shot the rounds off. She pulled the trigger again, but nothing happened; she was out of ammo. The demon grinned widely and stepped forward to charge at them, but something stopped him. He looked down at the floor to see that she had blown him right into the devil's trap.

Yellow-Eyes looked up at Mary. "Clever girl…" He smiled wickedly. "But you know this won't hold me forever."

Mary grinned at him. "I'm counting on it." She lowered the shotgun. "Regna terrae, cantate Deo, psallite Domino qui fertis super caelum caeli ad Orientem Ecce dabit voci Suae, vocem virtutis, tribuite virtutem Deo."

The demon's face paled as Mary recited the exorcism. He began breathing heavily as the words affected him.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus," recited Mary, "omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica."

The demon cried out as he began to shake.

"Ergo draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica adjuramus te. Cessa decipere humanas creaturas,  
>eisque aeternae Perditionis venenum propinare."<p>

John watched in anxiety as the demon reacted to the Latin words Mary was saying. The demon became more and more agitated as the ritual continued. John knelt down next to his boys, holding them close as Mary continued to exorcise the demon.

"Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine," Mary continued. "Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut inimicos sanctae Ecclesiae humiliare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos. Ut inimicos sanctae—"

Yellow-Eyes yelled out in pain, glaring at Mary. "Have it your way. But don't worry…" he looked down at Sam in delight, "I'll be back."

Mary glanced down at her son and then back at the demon. "Ut inimicos sanctae ecclesiae, te rogamus, audi nos!"

The demon yelled, black smoke flying out of his mouth and out the window. The body fell to the floor, dead.

Mary rushed over to her family, hugging her boys close. "It's alright. Everything's okay now." She looked up at John, who shared a worried look at the demon's last words.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

**Sorry for the absence. Vacation and then sick and then mom's surgery and then laptop crash and then tornado hit. I couldn't use the library's computers until now. Here ya go!**

Sam gripped the table hard as he took deep breaths. _What the hell had that been?_

It was a rush of images from what was, apparently, his life. But it couldn't be...could it?

Sam glanced across the table to see that Dean was gripping the table just as hard and breathing heavily. Dean's eyes rose and met Sam's, reflecting the same shock.

"Was that..." began Sam. "Was that real?"

"I don't know..." said Dean, looking closely at Sam. "Mom took the three of us and ran, but the demon caught up with us, killed Mom and Dad. We went into the foster care system-"

"Until you tracked me down at Stanford, and we got into hunting," said Sam.

Both of their eyes widened in shock.

"But...if the past changed and our lives..." said Sam, "then how come we remember how it used to be?"

Dean frowned. "Maybe because we used the radio. Whatever it is about the radio must have affected us."

"Maybe..." Sam breathed.

He looked down at his mother's necklace, seeing a new decoration. On each wing was a name; one said "Sam" and one said "Dean." It also said "My little angels" along the top.

"So...we got Mom **and** Dad killed," speculated Dean.

Sam shrugged. "Well, technically, Dad was already-"

"You know what I mean," Dean shot at Sam, glaring at him. He looked down at the table and suddenly froze, his eyes widening. "Wait a minute..." He looked up at Sam dazedly. "It changed..."

Sam frowned. "What?"

"It changed..." Dean declared, his face lighting up. "The past changed. It worked! Mom got the demon out of the nursery! You know what that means? She listened to us! She changed the past!"

Sam shook his head, not seeing the bright side. If anything, their lives were worse now. **Both** of their parents had died when Sam was a baby. Sam still had his demon blood and psychic abilities. Sam and Dean had bee separated their whole lives in two different foster families (they had been lucky enough to not have abusive families). Their lives since Jessica's death had run pretty much the same, except their father wasn't there to help kill the demon. Sam had still been killed by one of the other psychic kids. And they were still currently trying to get out of Dean's deal...Well, Sam was.

Sam felt all the frustration bubble to the surface. "Yeah, but what good did it do? Mom and Dad still got killed by the demon, Yellow-Eyes still dosed me with demon blood, you're still going to hell-"

"Whoa, what?" Dean exclaimed, the light leaving his face in an instant.

Sam froze, glancing uneasily up at Dean and realizing what he'd just confessed.

Dean stared at Sam in shock, narrowing his eyes. "You know about the demon blood?"

Sam's eyes widened. "**You** know?"

"Of course I know," Dean told him. "I had to watch him force-feed it to you. When did **you** find out?"

Sam sighed, looking down at the table. "Cold Oak...when he came in that dream. He showed me that night in the nursery...when he bled in my mouth."

"Wait a minute..." said Dean, leaning forward. "You knew **before** the reality trip...and you didn't tell me?"

Sam glared at him. "What was I gonna say? 'Hey, Dean, the demon that killed Mom infected me with demon blood, and that's what gives me my psychic powers'?"

Dean sighed, seeing where his brother was coming from. "Alright, alright, calm down. I...I'm sorry, okay? It's a lot of new info right now."

Sam nodded, looking down at his hands.

"Now..." Dean took a drink of his beer and put the bottle back on the table, "what do you say we go get that demon blood outta ya?"

Sam looked up at him with a frown. "What?"

"I mean, Mom's still gotta be at the house right now, right?" said Dean.

Sam smiled as he caught Dean's drift. "Probably."

********************************************************SPN************************************************************

John watched as Mary held her sons close.

"You saved me," Mary whispered. "My little angels..."

"Mommy..." sobbed Dean, clinging to his mother in fear.

"Shh, shh," soothed Mary. "It's okay. The bad man is gone now. You're safe."

"Mary, what just happened?" asked John. "What was that thing?"

Mary looked up at him, sighing. "I meant to tell you this ten years ago..." She settled herself on the floor, cradling Sam to her chest in protection. "I come from a family of hunters."

"Hunters?" asked John.

"We hunt supernatural myths," Mary explained. "Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, demons—they exist. My parents raised me to hunt them."

John stared at her, stunned. He glanced over at the devil's trap and the body inside of it. "And that was..."

"A demon," said Mary.

John looked back at her. "And why did he come after us?"

"Not us," said Mary. She looked worriedly down at her infant son.

John's eyes widened. "He's after Sam? Why?"

Mary felt tears running down her face. "I wish I knew..."

John wrapped an arm around her, holding his family close. "No one is taking our family away. I promise you that. I will help you hunt this thing down."

Mary looked up at him. "You want me to train you?"

"Something like that," said John. "How did you know the demon was coming?"

"I didn't," said Mary. She looked down at their boys. "They did."

"What are you talking about?"

"The people I've been talking to on the radio?" said Mary. "They said they were in the year 2007."

John frowned. "What?"

"I know. It's impossible. They said they were hunters and that they were Sam and Dean."

"So, you're saying our sons are talking to you on the radio in the future?" asked John skeptically.

"I know how it sounds. But then they said a demon was gonna come into Sam's nursery the night of November 2, 1983...and then kill me."

"Kill you?"

Mary nodded. "I think...I think I was supposed to die tonight. I didn't really believe them, but I got a weapon ready just in case. I was hoping they were just crazy. Looks like they really were Sam and Dean."

"Or they could just be some random hunters from the future," John pointed out.

"Maybe," Mary shrugged.

"So, if it is Sam and Dean...they changed their past," said John. "Would they even know?"

"What do you mean?" asked Mary.

"Well, their original lives now never existed," John reasoned. "They have a whole new set of memories."

Mary looked down at her boys. "I hope they're good memories now."

John looked down at his boys and then back up at Mary. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just wanted out," Mary confided. "I hated hunting, and I just wanted to have a normal life with a normal family. I wanted to raise a family outside of hunting."

John nodded. "Until I raised our boys as hunters to get revenge."

Mary nodded. "They said as much."

The radio speaker filled with static, and Mary and John looked over at it.

A voice came through the static. "Hello?"

Mary looked back at John. "It's them."

"Are you there, Mary?" came the voice again.

Mary and John headed over to the radio with the boys.

Mary sat at the desk as John stood behind her. "Dean? Sammy?"

They heard what sounded like a relieved sigh. "Hey...Mom..."

John stared at the radio in shock. Was that really his boys on the other end?

"You remember?" asked Mary.

A different voice emitted from the speaker, a voice that was more of a sarcastic slur. "It's kind of strange. We remember both lives at the same time."

"Really?" asked Mary. She looked over at John, who was still staring at the radio. She smiled and turned back to the microphone. "Boys...your father is here, too."

There was silence from the other end.

"I told him everything," Mary explained.

"Hey...boys..." said John.

"Dad..." said the first voice. "I'm Sam."

"Wow...this is..." began John. "Isn't this weird for you guys?"

The slurred voice—Dean—chuckled. "Well, weird's kinda in the job description. But, uh, this definitely makes the top five."

John frowned. "How can we be sure you're really our sons?"

"Well..." said Sam.

There was a quiet jingle from the other end.

"I have Mom's wing necklace here," said Sam. "It used to be blank, but now there's writing on the wings. Dean's name on one wing, my name on the other, and 'My little angels' on the top."

"Something better than that," said John. "You could have been eavesdropping somehow."

There was a good-natured chuckled.

"Good old Dad," said Dean. "Always paranoidly suspicious." He paused for a while. "When I would get sick...Mom would make me tomato rice soup...'cause it's what her mom made her. And instead of a lullaby...she would sing, 'Hey, Jude.' It's her favorite Beatles song."

John smiled. "Is it really you?"

"Yeah, Dad. It's me, Dean."

"Your name is Dean?" little Dean asked the microphone. "My name is Dean!"

Another small silence filled the room.

"Hey, there...Dean," said Dean.

"And my brother's name is Sammy!" said little Dean.

"Well, what do you know?" said Dean. "That's **my** brother's name."

"Cool!" said little Dean with a huge smile.

"Alright," said Mary. "Guys, we need to get going before he comes back."

"It'll take him a while to claw back out of hell," said Sam. "We need to talk." He took a deep breath. "Mom, why did the demon come after me?"

Mary froze, staring at the radio.

"What?" said Dean. "How would she know?"

"When the demon came to me in my dream that night in Cold Oak, it showed me what happened the night Mom died in my nursery," Sam explained to all three of them. "Mom ran back into the nursery, the demon turned around, and Mom recognized him. And two years ago, Dean and I hunted a poltergeist in our old house. Mom, you were also haunting the place. Just as the poltergeist attacked, you appeared, walked up to me, and said, 'I'm sorry.' I asked you what you were sorry about, but you turned and went after the poltergeist."

Mary looked down at the table as she felt John's eyes on her next to her and her sons' eyes on her from twenty-four years in the future.

"Mom, what happened between you and the Yellow-Eyed Demon?" asked Sam.

Mary sighed. "Ten years ago—uh, 1973—freak accidents began happening around the state, the first of which caught my family's attention. We interviewed the victim's family and found out that a man had taken care of the victim and would come back in ten years for something. Obviously, it was a demon, but then the guy said the demon had yellow eyes. We tracked the demon down, and..." she took a deep breath, "when he saw me, he said he liked me." She chuckled slightly. "I mean, it can't be good when a demon says he likes you. I ran to John, and he took me to the lake...to propose. My dad pulled me out of the car, and when John jumped out to get him to back off...my dad broke John's neck."

"What?" Sam, Dean and John said at the same time.

"If Dad died in 1973, Sam and I wouldn't exist," said Dean. "How-"

Mary could tell the moment when Sam and Dean put some of the pieces together.

"My dad had been possessed by the Yellow-Eyed Demon," Mary went on. "The demon had killed my parents, and he said he would bring John back if I made a deal. I thought it was a standard crossroads deal—my soul for John—but he didn't want my soul. He said he just wanted permission to come by in ten years, that if no one interrupted him, no one would get hurt." A tear began falling down her face. "I let him have my son just so I could have a normal life."

"No, you didn't," Sam told her. "He doesn't want to take me."

Mary frowned. "You know why he was making those deals?"

Sam hesitated, and silence reigned for a while.

"About two years ago, Sam began having dreams about his girlfriend dying just like Mom had," Dean told them. "A few days later, she died. Sam began having other dreams like that until he started having them while he was awake."

"Visions?" asked Mary.

"Yeah," said Dean. "Every once in a while, we would run into someone else with psychic abilities. Max had telekinesis, Andy and his twin brother used mind control, Ava had visions. There were a few others. Some of them had nursery fires just like Sam, but others didn't. Turns out, Yellow-Eyes was running a celebrity death match to find the best of them. Sam is the only one left."

"So, why did he need to visit Sam tonight?" asked John.

The boys hesitated for a moment.

"To give me my psychic abilities," said Sam. "The first time around, he...he dripped demon blood into my mouth."

Mary and John's jaws dropped in shock.

"He fed you demon blood?" asked Mary.

"That's how I got my psychic powers," said Sam.

Mary realized what was going on. "But I stopped him, and that's why he's coming back."

"Yes," said Dean. "You guys go on the lamb, but he tracks you down, kills both of you, and infects Sam with demon blood. Me and Sam went into foster care before I tracked him down, and we got into hunting."

"So, it doesn't matter," said Mary, losing hope. "He still finds you either way. There's no way to stop him."

There was heavy silence from the other end.

"What?" asked John.

"Well, me and Sammy have a plan," said Dean.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"A plan?" asked Mary. "What plan?"

"The Colt," Dean told them.

Mary stared at the speaker in shock.

John frowned, looking at Mary. "The Colt?" He looked back at the radio. "Like, a gun?"

"Yeah, a gun," said Sam.

"How is a gun gonna help against a demon?" asked John.

"The legend goes that back in 1835, Samuel Colt made a gun with special bullets for a hunter," Mary explained. "They say this gun can kill anything. Like, **anything**, anything. But that's all it is: a legend."

"The Colt exists," Dean insisted. "We've seen it. I killed the Yellow-Eyed Demon with it."

"There's a hunter in Manning, Colorado, named Daniel Elkins," said Sam. "He has the Colt." He opened his father's journal. "His address is—"

"Wait, you want us to leave now?" asked John.

"The longer you wait, the sooner Yellow-Eyes will catch up," said Sam.

"But what if we need to contact you?" asked Mary.

"Just take the radio," Dean told her. "It has batteries." He frowned and looked at Sam. "It has batteries, right?"

"You can buy some," Sam told their parents. "It'll run on batteries. So, just…pack us up and go. We'll keep in touch."

"Right," Mary agreed.

"The address is 102 Deer Run Road," Sam told her.

"Thank you boys…so much," Mary told them.

"Good luck," Dean said.

Static whined as the speaker grew silent.

Sam suddenly smiled. "After all these months of searching, we finally found it."

"Found what?" asked Dean, sitting on one of the beds.

"A way out of your deal," Sam told him, leaning his arms on the table.

"What are you talking about?" asked Dean.

"This, right here," Sam exclaimed in excitement, "this will break the deal!"

Dean rolled his eyes, sighing. "Sam, we've been over this. If we welch on this deal, you die."

Sam smiled coyly. "Yes, but can you welch on something that never happened?"

Dean did a double-take, a smile breaking onto his face. "Ooh, I like that."

**************************************SPN*****************************************************************

Mary stood from the desk. "Pack the radio up. I'll take care of the boys." She headed over to the couch, where Dean was entertaining his little brother. "Dean, come on, let's go pack your suitcase."

"Where we going?" Dean asked as Mary scooped Sam into her arms.

"A roadtrip," Mary told him with a smile.

Dean's face brightened. "Yay!" He took off for the stairs as Mary followed him.

Mary packed a week's worth of clothes into Dean's little green rolling suitcase, sending him back downstairs to John. Mary headed into her room and threw some clothes on. She then walked back into the nursery with Sam, freezing in the doorway. She stared at the crib, feeling a sense of trepidation. This was where it had happened. In another time—another life—this was where the demon had infected her son and stolen her away from her family.

Mary clutched little Sam closer as she moved into the room. She lay Sam down in the crib before moving over to the dresser, pulling the baby bag out and packing it with diapers, baby wipes, bottles and other things. She then packed a second bag with some onesies, socks, a blanket or two and a small cloth jacket. She swung the bags over her shoulder and pulled Sam from the crib. As she walked through the door and towards the stairs, John headed up the stairs towards her.

"Pack some clothes for us," Mary told him. "I'll be downstairs with them."

John nodded and headed for their room. Mary reached the bottom of the stairs to find Dean hugging his teddy bear close while sitting on the couch.

"Can I take Buddy with me?" asked Dean.

Mary nodded. "Of course. Here." She knelt down and placed Sam on the couch next to Dean. "Watch your brother, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy," Dean said, gripping the bear tightly as he looked down at Sam.

Mary headed over to the closet under the stairs, pulling a duffel bag out and starting to pack it with shotguns, pistols, iron rounds, salt rounds, silver knives, canisters of salt, some bottles of holy water, a crucifix and a few more things.

As Mary zipped the bag up and carried it into the living room, she heard John shout from upstairs.

Mary looked towards the stairs and immediately unzipped the bag, pulling a pistol and iron rounds out. "Dean, take your brother outside as fast as you can. Don't look back. Go, Dean."

Dean immediately dropped his teddy and awkwardly scooped Sam into his arms. He ran out the front door as Mary loaded the pistol and then loaded salt rounds into a shotgun, listening as the fight continued upstairs.

Guns loaded, Mary darted for the stairs, rushing up and into their room to find a guy standing over John. Just as the guy raised his leg to kick John again, Mary shouted out.

"Christo!"

The guy flinched all over and spun towards Mary, his eyes black. Mary raised the pistol and pulled the trigger, hitting the demon in the shoulder. The demon yelled in pain as he fell backwards into the wall, smoke curling from his wound.

As Mary headed to the side of the room to cover the demon, she tossed the shotgun in John's direction as he pushed himself up to his knees. John caught the shotgun and pumped the action, aiming it at the demon and blasting him with rock salt. The demon yelled as his mouth flew open, black smoke flying out of the host as the demon bailed. The body fell to the floor, already dead.

"Run!" Mary yelled.

She and John headed out into the hallway, keeping their guns ready and aimed. John turned to cover their backs as he backed towards the staircase behind Mary.

"Ah!" Mary suddenly screamed as a demon hit her from behind. She began to fall down the staircase, flinging her free hand out to catch something.

John instantly spun around, flinging his arm out and grabbing hold of Mary's arm. He raised the shotgun towards the demon, but it was already gone. John pulled Mary up towards him.

"You okay?" asked John.

Mary nodded, amazed at his quick reflexes. Looks like his military training was already kicking in. "Come on."

John followed Mary downstairs, heading for the front door, which suddenly slammed shut. John and Mary instantly turned and aimed their guns into the rest of the house, waiting. After a moment, Mary was flung across the room, pinned to the wall.

"Mary!" John yelled, running over as a demon stepped into the room.

The demon raised her hand, and John was flung into the wall across from Mary, pinned also.

The demon glared at Mary with a smirk. "You sure are a troublesome little one, aren't ya?" She shook her head. "I honestly don't see why my father didn't kill you sooner."

Mary frowned. "Your father?"

"Azazel," said the demon. "He dropped by earlier. I believe you know him."

John looked closely at Mary, seeing that she still had her gun in hand.

The demon walked closer to Mary. "You're in our way. But I'll make you a deal: give us little Sammy, and you two get to live. It's not like you'll never see him again. He'll be returned to you. You'll be one big, happy family again. What do you say?" She smiled wickedly at Mary.

"Over my dead body," Mary snarled.

"Christo!" John shouted.

The demon flinched, her eyes turning black. Her hold on them loosened enough that Mary could raise her gun and shoot an iron round into the demon. The demon screamed in pain as she grasped at the wound. Her hold on John and Mary disappeared, and they dropped to their feet.

The demon glared at them. "Have it your way."

A fire suddenly erupted from the ceiling, spreading along the wood towards the walls. The demon disappeared as John and Mary bolted for the front door. Flames sprang up in front of it, causing them to freeze. The fire consumed the perimeter of the house, trapping them inside. Through the window in the door, they could see Dean standing in the yard with Sam in his arms, staring at the house in fear.

John grabbed the coffee table in the living room, hefting it up and throwing it at the front windows. The window broke, and the flames surged towards the new oxygen. When they died down, John grabbed hold of Mary's arms.

"Come on!" John yelled over the roar of the fire. He stepped onto the desk by the window, jumping through it and onto the porch. He turned back to the window, holding his hands out. "Jump, Mary!"

"Hold on!" Mary shouted back, running back into the living room.

"Mary!" John shouted.

Mary grabbed her duffel of weapons and ran back to the window, throwing the bag out onto the porch.

"Come on, I got ya," said John, holding his hands out once again.

Mary jumped through the window, and John hugged her close. John grabbed the duffel, and they ran off the porch away from the house. Mary scooped Dean up into her arms, making sure Sam didn't get dropped.

"I got ya," said Mary as she hurried towards the Impala.

John unlocked the doors, and they jumped in. John started the car as Mary held Sam in one arm and Dean in the other. Dean curled into his mother's side, holding on tight. John peeled away from the curb, taking off down the road. Mary glanced back at their house, watching as the happy life she'd spent ten years building burned down in front of her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Mary stared out the windshield as John drove through the night. They had been on the road for a couple hours, wanting to put some distance between them and the demons. Pretty soon, they would have to buy the batteries for the radio in case the boys needed to contact them.

Dean had fallen asleep in the backseat shortly after they got on the highway.

John glanced over at Mary. "Everything's going to be okay. As soon as this mess is over, we'll find another place. We'll be fine."

Mary shook her head sadly. "No, John, I don't think we will."

"Mary—" John began to comfort her.

"Nothing is gonna be fine again, John," Mary said, looking over at him. "Whether it's demons or ghosts or something else, they'll always come after me…after us. I thought I could have that normal life, but I can't." She looked down at Sam, who was asleep in her arms. "Let's face it…A hunter never really retires, do they? Even if they give up the life, they still know what's out there."

John reached over and pulled Mary gently to his side.

Mary held her baby boy close. "I think, deep down, I always knew something would be back. Guess that's why I kept that arsenal in the closet." She took a deep breath. "I don't think we can go back to normal. Everything's changed now."

John rubbed his hand over Mary's arm. "And if it has…it doesn't matter. We're still all here. And after this is over, we'll still be here. Even though we're hunters, it doesn't mean we can't live a normal life. We can raise our boys normal while hunting on the side. We'll protect them, but not turn them into hunters. We'll let them decide when they grow up."

Mary looked up at him.

"I promise they will have a better life than you did," John told her.

Mary smiled as she nodded.

"But for now…" said John, "I need the crash course."

Mary nodded, beginning to explanation about everything related to hunting. "Well…ghosts are vengeful spirits—at least ghosts who try to hurt people. There **are** ghosts out there who don't harm anyone. Vengeful spirits are created by violent deaths. Now, usually, the bones are what keep them around, so what you have to do…"

**************************************************SPN*********************************************************************************

Sam glanced over at the radio for about the tenth time since they had ordered pizza, clenching his hands in front of him nervously.

Dean rolled his eyes from the other bed. "Dude, relax. If they need us, they'll call."

"And if something happens to them?" Sam pointed out, looking at him.

"Then we'll know," Dean told him, flipping through the channels on the TV. "Stuff will change, we'll get new memories, something. Just chill. Nothing we can do right now."

Sam sighed. "I guess you're right."

A knock came at the door.

"Ugh, finally," Dean muttered, rolling off the bed and onto his feet. He reached the door and opened it. "About freakin' time…"

A middle-aged guy in a suit stood at the door.

"Can I help you?" asked Dean.

The man smiled at Dean, eerily serene. "Yes, you can." He raised his hand, palm facing Dean.

Dean flew across the room, hitting the wall by Sam's bed and getting pinned there.

"Dean!" Sam shouted, jumping up to rush towards the guy.

The guy turned his palm towards Sam, and Sam was flung into the wall by the TV. The man stepped towards the center of the room, the door slamming closed on its own behind him.

"You, too, Sam," said the guy.

"What do you want?" growled Dean.

The guy looked at him. "You."

Dean glanced fearfully over at Sam and back at the man. "Look, I don't know what you've heard, but I haven't welched on the deal. I—"

"I don't want your soul, Dean," said the man. "I'm an angel."

Dean and Sam stared at him, dumbfounded.

"You're what?" said Dean.

"An angel, Dean. The name's Zachariah."

Dean sneered at him. "Yeah, right. There's no such thing."

Zachariah shook his head bracingly. "Always so narrow-minded."

Thunder rumbled distantly, and lightning flashed in the room, shining on Zachariah. Black wings lit up on the wall behind him, stretching up and over his head before the light vanished. Sam stared in awe as Dean narrowed his eyes at the guy.

"How are we supposed to know you're for real?" asked Dean.

"I could care less if you believe me or not," said Zachariah, stepping closer to Dean. "I am here for one reason and one reason only…to take this out of both of your asses."

He raised his hand, and Dean yelled in pain, spitting up blood.

"Dean!" Sam yelled, struggling against the angel's hold.

"You two are the biggest pain in my ass in the last two millennia," Zachariah growled. "We worked for years—centuries—to perfect this little plan. And in one night, you two managed to tear it all down."

He raised his other hand, and Sam began coughing up blood.

"You were meant to bring on the apocalypse and follow your orders!" Zachariah thundered. He raised his fist and punched Dean. He headed over towards Sam. "You are nothing more than pawns in _our_ world!" He punched Sam. "Filthy maggots, puking larvae!"

Zachariah began beating the two of them. After a few minutes, he backed up in the center of the room again. Dean had a swollen eye, busted lip, cuts on his face, and probably some busted ribs. Sam had a nasty, swollen cut under his eye, a broken nose and what looked like a dislocated wrist.

"What made you pathetic meatsacks think you could just rewrite destiny?" Zachariah forced out past clenched teeth.

Zachariah marched towards Dean with murderous hate in his eyes. Dean braced himself for another onslaught as the angel drew closer. Zachariah suddenly yelled out in pain as he spun around, clutching at his side. A man with black hair and startlingly blue eyes stood behind Zachariah, wearing a black suit and tan trench coat and holding a shiny, silver sword. Light was pouring out of the cut the guy had made in Zachariah's side.

"Castiel…" said Zachariah. "You wanna tell me the meaning of this?"

"I won't let you destroy these boys," said Castiel in a deep voice. "Let them go."

Zachariah glared at the trench-coated man. "You dare to defy your superiors?"

"They are my friends," Castiel told him.

Dean and Sam exchanged confused and pain-filled glances. They didn't know this guy.

Zachariah stared at Castiel, realizing. "You are not the Castiel of now. You came back to change the past. We are specifically forbidden from interfering with history!"

"I think history has been changed enough," said Castiel.

He lunged at Zachariah with the sword, but the angel grabbed Castiel and flung him into the wall…hard. The plaster cracked around Castiel as he fell to the floor. Castiel pulled himself to his feet as Zachariah rushed him. Castiel swung a punch at Zachariah's face, drawing blood. Castiel swung the sword at Zachariah, who grabbed his arm and pulled his own sword out of his suit jacket.

Zachariah swung the sword at Castiel, but he blocked it with his other arm. They struggled for a moment before Castiel noticed a weak spot. Castiel raised his leg and kicked Zachariah in the side where his wound was. Zachariah clutched at his side as he brought the sword down. Castiel slashed his blade down, piercing Zachariah through the heart.

Zachariah yelled as light poured out from behind the blade. The light grew in intensity as Sam and Dean closed their eyes and turned their heads away. Castiel pulled the sword out, and light exploded from Zachariah.

The force holding Sam and Dean to the walls evaporated, and they fell to the floor. They looked over at each other and over at Castiel, who stood over Zachariah's body. They stood up and stared at the body, which had dark wings splayed out on either side as though they were burned onto the floor. Sam and Dean looked warily at Castiel.

"Uh…thanks," muttered Dean.

Castiel turned suddenly towards them, reaching out for them. Sam and Dean started to back away in alarm, but Castiel touched two fingers to each of their foreheads. Sam and Dean felt the pain from their injuries disappear.

"Don't mention it," muttered Castiel.

Sam and Dean touched their faces to find that they were healed.

Dean frowned at the guy. "Who are you?"

"Castiel," the guy began to eplain.

"Yeah, I figured that much," Dean growled. "I mean, **what** are you?"

For some reason, that made Castiel smile fondly. It wasn't much of a smile, but for all the emotion he'd shown on his face since he got there, he may as well have been grinning madly.

"I'm an angel of the Lord," Castiel explained.

Sam frowned down at Zachariah. "Wasn't **he** an angel?"

Castiel looked down at Zachariah and nodded. "My brethren have…fallen astray. They wish to bring on paradise to rid themselves of caring for humanity."

Dean frowned. "Okay, there is so much of this that doesn't make sense. Why are they running the planet? Where is God in all this? And why wouldn't paradise be a good thing? And, by the way, how do you know us?"

Castiel frowned as he stared at Dean. "Which question would you like me to answer first?"

Dean rolled his eyes in frustration.

Sam put a hand on Dean's chest to get him to cool off before addressing the angel. "How do you know us? Zachariah said that you weren't from now?"

Castiel nodded. "I come from the year 2010."

"And we're friends?" asked Dean.

"Yes," Castiel answered.

"Alright, start from the beginning," said Dean. "When did we meet you?"

"2008," Castiel replied. "I was the one who raised you from perdition."

Dean's brow rose in surprise. "You pulled me from hell?"

Castiel nodded. "Four months after you died. I was told to raise you to stop the apocalypse."

Sam suddenly frowned, remembering something. "Wait, but he said something about us bringing **on** the apocalypse."

Castiel nodded once again. "The angels have been planning it for over two millennia. Azazel made the—"

"Azazel?" asked Sam.

"The demon that killed your mother," Castiel explained. "Azazel made the deal with your father to break the first seal."

"Seal?" said Dean.

"There are hundreds of seals protecting Lucifer's cage," said Castiel. "In order to free him, sixty-six of them must be broken."

"Lucifer?" Dean uttered in shock. "As in, the devil?"

"Yes," said Castiel. "That has been the demons' plan all along."

"I thought you said it was the angels' plan," Sam pointed out.

"The demons plan to unleash Lucifer so they can rule heaven," Castiel explained. "The angels want to get Lucifer free so the archangel Michael can kill him and bring peace to mankind."

Dean frowned. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"The battle between Michael and Lucifer will be immense," Castiel went on. "It will destroy half of the planet. The angels believe that the outcome is worth the risk."

"And our dad's death was the first seal?" Dean asked the angel.

Castiel shook his head once. "The first seal will be broken when a righteous man sheds blood in hell."

The boys' faces paled.

"So…so, you're saying Dad…" Dean said, unable to voice it.

"No, your father did not," Castiel replied. He looked sadly at Dean. "You did."

Dean's jaw dropped. "What?"

"Your father would not break, so they had to make a deal with you," Castiel told him. "When you were dragged to hell…they broke you…and you broke the seal. That is why the angels sent me to raise you."

"**They** sent you?" asked Sam. "You were with them?"

Castiel nodded. "I was among heaven's ranks before I learned the truth. You and your brother spent a year trying to stop Lillith from breaking the seals. Dean began hunting down the demons responsible whereas you, Sam, used more…unconventional methods."

Sam nodded in understanding. "My psychic abilities…"

"Ruby taught you how to use them—" Castiel began.

"Ruby?" said Dean, his voice rising. "Ruby the **demon**?"

"Yes," said Castiel, seeming to avoid Dean's gaze. Apparently, he had experience with Dean's attitude towards Ruby. "She won Sam's trust and caused his psychic abilities to emerge by…feeding Sam demon blood."

Sam and Dean's eyes widened. "What?"

Castiel avoided the tender subject and went on with his story. "At the end of the year, Sam killed Lillith with his abilities to stop her from breaking the final seal. But Zachariah had pushed Sam to kill her because her death was the final seal."

Sam's jaw dropped. "I broke the final seal?"

Castiel nodded. "Lucifer was set free, but before the battle could begin, he and Michael would need their vessels. Dean, you are Michael's vessel, and Sam is Lucifer's."

Dean's eyes widened. "You're possessing some poor bastard?"

"An angel cannot possess a human like a demon can," Castiel told them. "We need to be invited in. The three of us tried everything to kill the devil—the Colt, finding God—but nothing worked. We finally decided to lock Lucifer back in his cage. Sam gave Lucifer his consent—"

"He what?" exclaimed Dean, looking at Sam.

"—to fight back control and jump into the cage," Castiel finished.

Dean frowned, surprised. "Did it work?"

"Eventually, yes," said Castiel. "I only recently pulled Sam back from hell."

"Wow…" breathed Dean, overwhelmed. "Um…Our bad?"

Sam chuckled a little, hiding his smile behind his hand.

"Good thing we're fixing it, then, right?" Dean smiled at the angle.

Castiel gave him an appreciative smile and a nod. "Good thing."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

**Sorry for my absence. April is Titanic month, and that's pretty much my whole world. Just a feel good chapter here.**

Sam and Dean glanced over at Castiel from the table. Castiel stood by the wall, staring around the room. Sam glanced over at Dean across the table. Dean shrugged towards Sam in a gesture of "Go on. Say something."

Sam looked over at Castiel and cleared his throat. "So…"

Castiel looked over at him.

"What made you change your mind?" asked Sam. "Was it because you learned the angels' true plan?"

"When I first heard of heaven's plans, I tried to tell Dean," Castiel told them. "But the angels dragged me back to heaven, forcing me to obey my superiors. I was the one who helped drive Sam towards Ruby at the end." He looked at Dean. "When you were taken to a safe room for the final seal, you were told the truth. You managed to…'knock sense' into me. I brought you to where Sam was, but Ruby stopped you from getting to him."

Dean looked at Sam. "Told you Ruby was evil."

Sam looked over at him with a slight eye roll. "Yes, Ruby is evil. You called it. Congratulations."

"Damn right I called it," mumbled Dean.

Castiel hesitated, but then stepped forward. "In Sam's defense, he was very upset after your death, Dean. Ruby was there for him when you couldn't be. She saved his life." He shifted uncomfortably as he sent a hard gaze Sam's way. "Not that I am condoning his behavior."

"—_ean…S—"_

Sam and Dean both glanced over at the radio and scooted up closer to the table.

"_You boys there?"_ John asked.

Sam pressed the button on the microphone. "Yeah, Dad, we're here."

"Got the Colt yet?" asked Dean.

"_Dean, it's been three hours," _John told him sternly. _"We're only outside Salina. What's the rush?"_

"We got an angel from the future here," Dean explained. "He's told us the demons' plans ever since Yellow-Eyes started making deals for the psychic kids."

John sighed. _"How bad is it?"_

"Well, we won't go into details, but…" began Dean, chuckling a little, "let's just say, you have **got** to kill that demon. How's the road trip going?"

"_Well, the two of you aren't taking to the open road very well," _John told them.

Sam chuckled. "Don't worry. We get used to it."

"_But that's what I'm afraid of,"_ said Mary.

"What do you mean?" asked Sam, frowning.

Mary sighed. _"All of this…everything I've worked for the past ten years…a normal life…a normal family…It was all for nothing. Even if we kill the demon—"_

"**When** we kill the demon," Dean said firmly.

Mary hesitated a moment. _"__**When**__ we kill the demon, it won't make a difference. The two of you will obviously still remember hunting, and John and I…Nothing's ever going to be the same."_

There was silence for a while as they let that sink in.

"You're right," said Dean suddenly. "Nothing ever will be the same."

Sam glanced over at his brother, who leaned closer to the microphone.

"But I wouldn't trade that for anything," Dean told them. "It's who I am…who I was meant to be." He glanced over at Sam real quick and back at the radio. "Sam and I ran into a djinn a few months back."

"_Djinn?"_ asked John.

"It's like a genie, but they don't grant wishes," said Dean. "They just make you think they do. They trap you inside your head and make you live out your greatest wish…while they slowly feed off you. The djinn captured me, made me think it granted my wish. Mom was alive…I had a life and a girl…Sammy was in law school, getting married…But it wasn't perfect."

Dean paused for a moment. "I mean, I had the same personality as I do now, but…I was kind of the brother you wish you never had. Sam and I didn't get along…We never really spoke outside of holidays. Without hunting, we never had anything in common…nothing to bring us together."

Dean looked over at Sam, who gave him an "aw, that was beautiful" look. Dean rolled his eyes and shoved Sam a little, turning back to the radio.

"But more importantly, I got to see what it would have been like if we hadn't become hunters," Dean told them. "If we'd never been hunters, then all those people we saved would be dead. Sure, a hunter's job doesn't pay and the hours are crap…but we get to help people…save them. And that's the best feeling in the world."

Everyone let that sink in, feeling the sense of purpose Dean had towards his job.

"_I…"_ Mary began, _"I never really thought of it that way. I'd always been mad at Dad for forcing me to grow up like that, but…I never bothered to see all the good we were doing."_

"We do, Mom," Sam joined in. "This is, without a doubt, one of the most gratifying jobs in the world. I used to hate it…but then I guess I grew up and saw what we were really doing. And I get to do it with my family."

"The two of you should really hold onto that," Castiel suddenly said from right behind them.

Dean and Sam jumped, spinning around to find the angel not five inches from them.

"Jeez, Cas, personal space!" Dean yelled at him. "Back off!"

Castiel nodded, taking one step back from them.

"_Who was that?"_ asked John.

"Castiel, our little angel friend," Dean told them.

Castiel stiffly leaned forward. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Winchester."

"_Uh…you…too," _said Mary. _"What were you saying about them?"_

"Sam and Dean grew apart and lost their purpose," Castiel explained. "Only recently have I seen that drive return."

Dean frowned. "When did that happen?"

"While you and Sam were trying to stop Lillith before Lucifer rose," Castiel stated bluntly.

"_Wait, what?"_ exclaimed Mary.

"It doesn't matter," Dean said. "It's in a future that will never happen."

"_What about the past?"_ asked Mary. _"Can you tell us about that?"_

"What about it?" asked Sam.

"_Tell us about the two of you,"_ said Mary. _"Did either of you…No, you probably didn't."_

"Didn't what?" asked Dean.

"_Well, I was gonna ask you if you guys went to college, but being hunters, you probably never got the chance," _Mary explained.

Dean glanced at Sam, who was surprised to see a proud smile on his face. "Actually, Sammy got into Stanford on a full-ride."

"_Really?"_ asked Mary. _"What was your area of study?"_

Sam smiled. "Pre-law. I took the LSATs and scored a 174."

"_Is that high?"_ asked John.

"Very," Sam assured.

"_Did you graduate?" _asked Mary.

Sam hesitated, his expression turning somber. "No…November 2, 2005, I came to my apartment to find my girlfriend Jessica on the ceiling…burning…just like Mom."

"_Both times?"_ asked Mary.

"No, only the first," Sam told her. "This time, Dean tracked me down to take me with him my freshman year before I…met…" He raised his line of sight, staring at the wall.

"Sam?" asked Dean, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"You got me before I met Jessica…" Sam breathed. He looked up at Dean in hope. "She never died…"

Dean sighed, turning a little more towards Sam and bringing himself down to his eye level. "You never met, Sam." He spoke quietly, not wanting to upset his brother. "She doesn't know who you are."

Sam looked down at the floor sadly, realizing.

"But maybe we can change that," Dean told him encouragingly.

"_We will,"_ said John from the radio. _"We'll change everything."_

"Well, almost everything," said Dean, whipping his head over to look at the radio. "I still get the Impala, right?"

Mary, John and Sam all laughed.

"_You get the car, huh?"_ chuckled John.

"Are you kidding?" said Dean. "She's my baby. Not about to let that thing go without a fight."

"_Well, on your eighteenth birthday, it's yours,"_ said John.

"Thank God," said Dean. "I miss that thing."

"_Of course,"_ said John. _"Local authorities would've re-possessed it and sold it."_

"Yeah," grumbled Dean. "Damn government."

"_Well, don't worry,"_ said John. _"We're taking the Impala back home as soon as the demon is dead."_

"_What about you, Dean?" _asked Mary. _"Did you ever get to college?"_

Dean chuckled. "Me? Are you kidding? School sucks."

Their parents laughed a little.

"But, uh…I don't know," began Dean. "Sammy was always the genius. Only natural he'd be going on to college. Me…I learned everything I need to know from movies. I turned out perfectly fine."

Sam chuckled a little.

Dean narrowed his eyes at him. "Shut up."

"_Well…Sam," _said Mary. _"Tell me about Jessica. How did you two meet?"_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

John pulled up to a cabin in the woods at night, parking the car and turning it off.

Mary turned towards him. "I need you to stay here."

John frowned. "Mary, I—"

"John, please," Mary pleaded. "He doesn't know you."

"Well, he doesn't know you either," John told her.

"Everyone in our tight-knit circle 'knows' each other," said Mary. "He'll trust me. I need you to stay here with the boys. Not to mention, he's not gonna take too kindly to someone knocking on his door at four in the morning."

John looked back at where his sons were sleeping in the backseat, Dean with one arm wrapped protectively around his infant brother. He looked back at Mary and nodded.

Mary turned to open the passenger door, but John placed a hand on her shoulder. Mary turned back towards him.

"Be careful, Mary," John told her.

Mary smiled and leaned towards him for a kiss. She then turned back to the door, climbing out of the Impala. She looked back at the Impala once more, seeing that John was watching her carefully. She turned back towards the cabin, heading up the path. As she drew closer, she spotted a few traps nearby: a devil's trap painted on the doorstep, a line of salt sticking out from under the doorjamb on the floor, the doorbell framed in an iron fixture, the doorknob built out of iron…

Mary stepped up onto the doorstep in the devil's trap, ringing the doorbell. After a moment, something bumped softly against the door.

"Who's there?" called a man from inside the cabin.

"My name is Mary Winchester. I need your help."

"I don't know any Winchesters," said the man.

"I'm a hunter from Kansas," Mary told him. "Can I come in and talk?"

There was a pause before the door was unlocked and opened. A red-haired man was aiming a shotgun at her from the doorway.

"Talk about what?" asked the man.

Mary looked down at the devil's trap and stepped backwards out of the paint. She looked back up to see the man lowering his gun a little. "Are you Daniel Elkins?"

The man frowned. "I am."

"I was sent here for something," said Mary. "The Colt."

Daniel frowned. "The what?"

"The Colt," said Mary. "I have it on very good authority that you have it."

"The Colt?" said Daniel. "Just a fairy tale; it doesn't exist."

"I happen to know it does," said Mary. "Daniel, please. This gun is the only chance I have to save my family."

Daniel regarded her for a moment before lowering the shotgun and gesturing for her to come in. Mary walked over the hidden salt line and into the cabin past Daniel. Daniel shut the door, locking it behind her.

Daniel led her into his study. "Why do you need the Colt?"

"A demon," Mary told him. "He's after me and my family."

"Ever heard of an exorcism?" asked Daniel, laying his shotgun down on his desk.

"We tried that," said Mary. "He'll come back."

"How do you know?" asked Daniel, frowning.

"This isn't the first time I've run into him," Mary explained. "He's after us specifically, for some reason." She decided that spilling everything to this hunter was probably not a smart idea. It's not like he would believe the whole time travelling radio thing. "If I can kill this son of a bitch, it'll be over."

Daniel considered her for a moment before turning towards the corner, approaching the huge safe on the floor. He knelt in front of it, spinning the combination into the lock. The door opened with a clunk, and Daniel reached inside, pulling out a pristine 1835 Colt revolver. He straightened back up, turning towards Mary and holding the Colt close.

Mary stared down at the gun in the hunter's hands. _I don't believe it…It really exists…_

Daniel looked up at Mary and hesitantly held the Colt out to her. Mary reached out and took hold of the Colt, taking it from Daniel. Mary noticed the pentagram carved into the handle and the phrase engraved on the barrel: non timebo mala…I will fear no evil.

It was a little strange holding this gun in her hands, knowing what this gun would have gone through had the past not changed. This was the gun her sons had used to kill the Yellow-Eyed Demon.

Mary looked back up at Daniel. "Thank you. I'll make sure you get this back."

"Here, you're gonna need these," said Daniel, handing her the case with seven bullets in it.

Mary took the case, placing the Colt inside and holding the case close.

"Winchester, Kansas," said Daniel, nodding. "I'll be waiting for ya."

Mary turned and headed for the front door, unlocking it and heading outside. As Daniel closed and locked the door behind her, she saw John relax in the driver's seat of the Impala when he spotted her. Mary climbed into the passenger seat, closing the door.

John glanced down at the case in Mary's hands. "Is that it?"

Mary eased the case open, showing him the antique revolver. "That's it."

"And that…can kill demons?" asked John skeptically.

Mary smiled, looking down at the Colt. At first glance, it did seem ridiculous that this gun in front of them is able to kill powerful, evil demons. "I know it doesn't look like something that can kill supernatural monsters, but…" she plucked one of the magic bullets out of its place beside the gun, "these aren't just any bullets. Samuel Colt made them specially for this gun." She looked at the bullet, frowning. "No one really knows how it works or how he made it…but if Sam and Dean say it works, that's good enough for me."

John nodded. "Works for me, too." He turned the car on, heading back into town to get a motel room for the night.

**********************************************************SPN***************************************************************************************************************************

John watched as Mary walked into the motel room with Sam in her arms and the diaper bag and baby bag hung over her shoulder, making sure she was safe, before leaning into the backseat over his eldest son.

"Dean…" said John softly, shaking his little shoulder.

Dean rolled his head a little, making a small sound.

"Dean, wake up," John coaxed.

Dean reached a hand up, rubbing at his eyes so adorably as he looked up at his father.

"Come on," John told him. "We're going to bed now."

"I'm in bed," Dean told him, trying to head back into his peaceful sleep.

John smiled. Dean always felt so at home in the Impala; when he was a baby and having a particularly hard time sleeping, John would always take him for a drive in the Impala, and it would knock Dean right out. And by the way Dean talked about his car in the future, he knew he still felt the same way about it. From the sounds of it, John had moved them around so much as they were growing up that the Impala had become a home to the two of them.

"You'll be much more comfortable in the bed," said John.

Dean stubbornly turned towards the back of the seat, content to stay in the car.

John leaned a little closer. "Sammy's in there."

Dean turned his head and looked at John before lifting his arms for his father to pick him up.

John smiled in victory as he pulled Dean from the seat and into his arms. If anything could tear Dean away from his Impala, it was Sam.

John grabbed the duffel from the floor of the backseat—along with Dean's suitcase—and closed the back door, locking the car. He headed inside the motel room they'd gotten, setting the suitcase by the table and easing the duffel off of his shoulder and onto the floor next to the suitcase. He thought about giving Dean a bath, but took pity on the sleepy boy and settled for just tucking him into bed. After all, he was still wearing the pajamas they'd put him in before their world had crumbled around them.

John pulled the blankets back from the bed and set Dean down in it, tucking the blankets around him for warmth. He laid his hand on Dean's forehead. "Goodnight, buddy."

He stood and glanced over at the crib they'd manage to get for the room from the motel staff, where Mary was rocking Sam back and forth in her arms. John walked up behind her, looking over her shoulder down at the sleeping bundle. Sam's sleepy eyes landed on John, his tiny mouth gave the slightest of a smile, and his eyes finally slid shut in slumber.

Mary smiled up at John, speaking in a hushed voice. "Looks like he was waiting for you."

John smiled back at her. "Looks like."

Mary leaned over the crib, setting Sam down into it. Mary leaned back against John, sagging into his embrace.

"Tired?" asked John.

Mary nodded. "It's just all so much."

"Then go to sleep," said John. "Just relax for a while."

Mary shook her head. "I can't relax. Not until I know we're all safe…until Sammy's safe."

"You know, I'm here, too," John whispered in her ear. "You don't have to do this alone."

"But, John—" began Mary.

John placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him, kissing her. He put his hands on either side of her face, looking her in the eyes. "Let me help, Mary."

Mary smiled and leaned wearily into his touch.

"Get some sleep," John told her.

Mary kissed him and headed for the duffel, grabbing a pair of casual clothes from it and heading for the bathroom to change.

John turned and looked down into the crib at his son. "Everything's gonna be okay, Sam. I promise."

He began heading around the room, setting up salt lines and devil's traps. He could see where Mary was coming from. He could only imagine what the life of a hunter must be like: always in danger, never knowing who to trust, always on the move…On the other hand, the rewards of such a life…his boys had told them what it was like to be able to save people's lives on a near day-to-day basis. Surely that had to balance things out.

John changed into a t-shirt and casual pants, getting comfortable in the bed across from Dean's and trying to stay awake to keep an eye on the boys.

**************************************************************************************SPN**********************************************************************************************************

Mary came to with a start, wondering what had woken her. She suddenly heard a rattling coming from the other side of the room. She glanced over to see the doorknob jiggling.

Mary reached over and shoved John's shoulder. "John…John…"

John looked at her and then followed her gaze to the door, seeing the doorknob moving. He got up from the bed, grabbing a salt gun and heading for the door to lay in wait next to it. Mary moved over to the other bed, pulling Dean into her arms and hurrying over to the crib.

The doorknob jiggled a little more before the door swung open, hiding John from view. There was a pause before a scrape sounded. Mary leaned a little over to see a stick brushing away the salt line.

Mary made eye contact with John and mouthed, _Demon_.

John nodded, bringing the salt gun up to ready himself.

Once the salt line was broken, the demon scooted into the room to the side of the devil's trap. He spotted Mary over by the crib and smiled wickedly, his eyes turning black.

"Mary, you got some 'splainin' to do," said the demon.

The demon began to head for her and the boys, but John lunged out from behind the door, shoving the gun into the demon's gut. The demon doubled over as John backed up to shoot him. The demon grabbed the gun, pulling it from John's grasp. He then grabbed John, throwing him into the wall by the beds.

As John pulled himself up to fight back, Mary glanced down at the safe under the crib. She quickly knelt, spinning in the combination. She yanked the door open to pull the Colt's case out.

John blocked a punch with his forearm and got a lucky shot in real quick. The demon grabbed John by the throat, shoving him back against the wall and pushing him up it. John grabbed at the hand around his throat, struggling for breath.

"Hey!"

The demon dropped John in surprise before a gunshot went off. The demon looked down at the glowing hole in his chest and then up at Mary, who was aiming a smoking Colt at him. The bullet wound pulsated with light before the demon dropped to the ground, dead.

Mary looked down in amazement at the Colt before rushing around to her husband. "Are you okay?"

John nodded. "The boys?"

Mary glanced over once at the boys, both of which had—amazingly—remained asleep the whole time. "They're fine."

John looked down at the Colt Mary held in her hand. "Thanks to them…"


	10. Chapter 10

Important Note!

I know you guys were expecting another chapter, but I think I need to include a note since I don't know when I'll get to the next chapter. From what I've read of the reviews, it looks as though some readers think the demon they killed with the Colt was Azazel. However, this demon had black eyes, so he was just one of Azazel's gang.

Sorry to mislead! I'm definitely not going to make getting rid of the family menace that easy. Don't worry, though! Within the next two chapters, they're gonna come up against him once more.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Ten

**Rereading the story, I suddenly thought of having the pizza delivery guy open the door just as Zach and Cas were fighting and then everyone looks over at him mid-fight. The guy runs away, leaving the pizza there, and they go back to the fight. Would have been hilarious to see.**

_Dean peered out from behind a box, seeing his mother facing a scary-looking man with yellow eyes._

"_Where is the boy?" asked the man._

"_I'm never letting you take him!" yelled Mary, pulling an old-looking gun out of her jacket._

_The yellow-eyed man raised his hand, and the gun flew out of Mary's hand. The man then gestured at Mary, and she went flying across the room._

"_Mary!" John yelled, rushing out from behind the box next to Dean._

_The man gestured at John, who flew across the room and landed next to Mary. The man walked over to them. "I didn't ask for your permission." He reached forward, breaking her neck and then John's._

"NO!" Dean yelled, bolting up in bed.

"Hey, hey, hey!" said Sam, sitting in front of him and grabbing hold of Dean's shoulders. "It's okay! It's just a dream!"

Dean took a couple a deep breaths, calming down. "Damn, what a nightmare."

"What was it?" asked Sam.

Dean glared over at him. "What are you, my therapist? None of your business."

Sam rolled his eyes, getting off of the bed. "Just trying to help. Never mind." He walked over to the desk and sat down.

Dean rolled his eyes, rubbing at his neck. He took a second glance at Sam. "I was in some old warehouse. Mom was talking to the Yellow-Eyed Demon, who attacked her and then Dad. He killed them." He rubbed at his eyes. "It felt so real."

Sam hesitated for a moment, frowning. "Well…was it a dream?"

Dean glared at him. "We just went over this."

"No, I mean, was it a dream, or was it a new memory?" asked Sam.

"How am I supposed to know?" asked Dean.

"Did they die the same as when we first changed everything, or was something different?" asked Sam.

Dean thought for a moment, trying to recall the dream-slash-memory. His eyes suddenly widened as he looked up at Sam. "The Colt…"

"The Colt?" asked Sam.

"The Colt," said Dean. "They had the Colt!"

"New memory, then," said Sam.

Dean frowned. "It's weird. It's like Yellow-Eyes _knew_ they would have the Colt."

"Well, then, we'll have to warn them," said Sam.

Dean nodded. "Yeah." He frowned, looking around the room. "Where's Castiel?"

Sam frowned, looking around behind him. "Huh…I didn't even hear him leave."

"_Dean? Sam? You guys there?"_

Mary's voice sounded panicked, and they could hear the Impala's engine revving in the background.

Sam leaned forward quickly, pressing the button on the microphone as Dean jumped out of bed and headed over to the desk. "Yeah, we're here. What's wrong?"

"_We had to make a run for it,"_ Mary told them.

"What?" exclaimed Dean. "Why?"

"_Demons found us,"_ said Mary. _"Good news, though. Colt works."_

"Well, we could've told you that," said Dean.

"_Still, it's nice to have actual proof,"_ said Mary.

"They didn't hurt anyone, did they?" asked Sam.

"_No, no, we're all fine,"_ said Mary. _"Maybe a couple of bruises, but…You two actually slept through the whole thing."_

"We did?" asked Sam in surprise.

"That's 'cause we knew we had you two looking out for us," Dean told her.

Sam gave him a weird look, surprised he was showing this much emotion.

"God, what is with me lately?" said Dean suddenly, realizing what he was saying. "I don't usually say things like that."

Sam knew it was because he was talking with a mother he'd had to let go of when he was a kid. He was finally getting back something that he'd never really had.

"It's probably some new piece of personality you picked up after everything changed," said Sam, deciding to let him off the hook.

Dean shrugged. "Maybe." He shook his head. "Anyway, we've gotta tell you something. I had a dream."

"_A dream?" _asked Mary. _"I thought it was Sam that had the visions."_

"No, no, nothing like that," said Dean. "It was a memory. It was you and Dad attacking the Yellow-Eyed Demon. He found out about killing the demon with the Colt; he knows you have it."

"_Well, then, what do we do?" _asked John.

"I don't know," said Sam. "We'll think of something. Keep the radio nearby."

"_Of course,"_ said Mary. _"Talk to you boys later."_

"Be careful, Mom," said Dean.

"_Always,"_ said Mary.

The radio went silent, and Dean looked down at the laptop next to the radio.

"What are you doing?" asked Dean.

Sam quickly closed the laptop. "Nothing."

Dean looked over at him. "Nothing?"

"Yeah, nothing," said Sam.

"Fine," said Dean. He quickly reached down and snatched the laptop from the desk, darting for the bed.

"Dean!" Sam yelled, getting up from the desk and rushing after him.

"Too late, Sammy!" said Dean, flinging open the laptop and taking a look at it. His expression dropped as he looked up at Sam, who had given up the fight to get to the laptop.

Sam shrugged. "I just...wanted to see what had happened to her."

Dean looked back down at the college article for Stanford, which showed a picture of Jessica and a headline that read "Sophomore Girl Found in Alley."

Dean looked back up at his brother. "Sammy..."

"It doesn't matter," said Sam quickly. "It never happened. It'll all be fixed in a few days."

Dean nodded, setting the laptop down next to him on the bed. "Well...I guess now we know that she **wasn't** better off never meeting you."

Sam looked up at him and gave a slight nod, not wanting to stay on the subject.

Dean looked around once more at the room. "Jeez, where _is_ Cas?"

Sam frowned up at him. "'Cas'?"

Dean stopped, realizing what he'd said. "Huh. The nickname just kinda…slipped out."

"The two of you have come to call me by that name for several years now."

Dean and Sam looked up to see Castiel standing by the door.

"I've actually grown quite fond of it," Castiel told them with a slight smile.

"Where'd you go?" asked Dean.

"An…errand," Castiel told them.

"Errand?" said Dean. "Angels run errands?"

"On occasion," said Castiel.

"Well, what kind of errand?" asked Dean.

Castiel said nothing, but only looked out the window. Dean walked over to the window, looking outside in the parking lot. His eyes widened as his jaw dropped.

"No…way…" Dean breathed, rushing for the door.

Sam frowned and followed him, finding Dean standing at the hood of a black '67 Impala. Sam's eyes widened in shock, and he looked over at Castiel, who had followed them to the door. "You did this?"

Castiel looked over at Dean, who was staring at the Impala in amazement. "I felt that it belonged at home."

Dean looked back at Castiel. "Cas…I don't even barely know you, but this is—without a doubt—the coolest thing you have _ever _done!" He looked back at the Impala with a smile.

"Is it really the same car?" asked Sam.

Castiel nodded. "I tracked it down."

"And stole it?" Sam asked in surprise.

"It was in a junkyard," Castiel told them.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry!" exclaimed Dean. "I'll never let anyone take you again!"

The Impala looked almost like they remembered. It was a little dented in places, and rust was starting to build up above the tires, and it could have done with a good coat of paint, but…

"Alright, well, we got a problem, Dean," said Sam. "You think you can quit sweet-talking her and focus on the situation at hand?"

Dean looked back at Sam. "Sam, it's the Impala. I haven't seen her in twenty-four years."

"Yes, you have," said Sam. "You had her two days ago."

"I know, but it doesn't feel like that," said Dean, giving the hood one last pat before heading back inside with the other two.

"Okay, so…" said Sam, sitting down at the desk as Dean flopped onto one of the beds. Sam looked up at Castiel, who stood by the door. "Yellow-Eyes knows our parents have the Colt. What do we do?"

Castiel looked back and forth between their expectant stares. "I have no idea."

Dean looked disbelievingly at him. "You know, for an angel, you're not really that helpful."

Castiel gave him a glare before looking out the window.

Sam leaned over towards Dean slightly and lowered his voice. "I think you upset him."

Dean rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry, okay? Cas?"

Castiel glanced over at him out of the corner of his eye before turning his head fully towards Dean. "I forgive you."

Dean let out a held breath. He didn't like the idea of being on an angel's bad side. "Alright, well, we gotta think of something." His expression brightened as he looked at Castiel. "Hey, why don't you kill him?"

Castiel frowned. "Pardon?"

"I mean, angels can time travel, right?" suggested Dean. "Why don't you just go back and kill Yellow-Eyes?"

Castiel shook his head slightly. "I cannot interfere."

Dean narrowed his eyes at him. "Can't or won't?"

"Dean, if I interfere, my superiors will kill me," said Castiel.

"Like you haven't interfered enough?" said Dean.

"If I journey to the past and kill Azazel, my superiors in 1983 will kill me before I have the chance to journey to the past," Castiel told them. "It would be pointless."

"Well, couldn't you just…help them kill the demon?" suggested Sam. "No direct interference?"

Castiel looked helplessly at them. "Heaven would still learn the truth and kill my past self. I'm sorry."

Sam's eyes widened. "Your past self…"

Dean looked over at Sam, recognizing the wheels turning in his head, and he smiled. "What ya cooking up over there, Sammy?"

"What if your past self helped kill the demon?" Sam asked Castiel. "Then, your superiors couldn't kill you. Well, they could, but you would have already helped our parents." He smiled. "It would be pointless."

"Sam, _we_ weren't even supposed to know him for another year," Dean pointed out. "Why would Castiel in 1983 want to help our family?"

"This radio communicates with your parents in 1983," said Castiel.

"Yeah?" said Dean.

"I could tell him," said Castiel. He frowned. "…me."

"Yeah, but your superiors," said Sam.

"If your parents summon me at the last moment, my superiors would have no chance at stopping me," said Castiel.

"But wouldn't Yellow-Eyes know the plan, then?" asked Dean.

"Angels communicate through Enochian," Castiel explained. "Demons do not know it. Using that language, I would also recognize my own voice and know that I have to help your parents."

"Alright, so…Mom and Dad hide the radio somewhere and summon Yellow-Eyes," said Sam. "Then they summon you," he told Castiel, "you talk to…yourself and help kill the demon."

"That could work," said Dean. "I mean, he's expecting Mom and Dad to have the Colt, but I will bet you dollars to donuts that he ain't expecting an angel to help them."

"Okay," said Sam, looking back at Castiel. "How do you summon an angel?"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Eleven

Mary stood in the warehouse, staring at the devil's trap. She glanced over at the corner of the warehouse, where John, Dean and little Sam hid behind some shelves with the radio. She glanced back around the room, waiting for the demon to show up. She'd summoned him fifteen minutes ago, but he was still a no-show. Mary was starting to get edgy. They'd had a plan to set up the radio where John and the boys were hiding so Dean, Sam and Castiel could hear the whole thing. And, hopefully, everything went as planned.

"Oh, now, this looks familiar."

Mary whipped her head around to see a man standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. He looked up at her, his eyes turning yellow.

Yellow-Eyes looked down at the devil's trap on the floor in the middle of the room. He frowned as he looked up at Mary. "Did you really expect me to fall for that?"

Mary turned her body around to face him. "Not really. Hunter's precaution."

Yellow-Eyes pushed himself away from the frame and began stalking slowly towards her. "Well? Where is it?"

Mary glared at him before reaching into her jacket and pulling out the Colt.

"So, there it is…" said Yellow-Eyes, staring at it. "You know, I could really use that in Wyoming in about twenty years."

"To open the devil's gate?" said Mary.

Yellow-Eyes stopped in his tracks, staring in surprise at Mary.

"Your plan's not as big of a secret as you thought it was," said Mary.

"Who told you about that?" smirked Yellow-Eyes.

Mary didn't answer him.

Yellow-Eyes shrugged as the smirk morphed into a grin. "No matter. Won't make a difference. 'Cause, you see, I'm the man with the plan. And it's still gonna follow through no matter what you do. I've got friends in low places."

"I know," said Mary. "I didn't come here to stop you."

"Like you could, anyway," said Yellow-Eyes. "Destiny can't be changed, Mary."

"So, I've heard," Mary muttered.

"Why did you call me?" asked Yellow-Eyes. "It couldn't have been for this wonderfully scintillating conversation."

"I'll do it," said Mary. "I'll give you Sam."

Yellow-Eyes frowned. "Why the sudden change of heart? That's not like you, Mary."

"It's no use, fighting you," said Mary. "You're not gonna stop. And like you said, you're gonna give him back. At least this way, he'll get to grow up with us. I can train him, teach him the skills he needs to fight." She glared up at the demon. "And maybe one day, he'll use them to kill you."

Yellow-Eyes chuckled. "Now, why on earth would he ever want to do that?"

Mary smirked at him. "Oh, I have my reasons."

Yellow-Eyes stared at her for a moment. "Not really sure I believe you. It wouldn't be the first time you made a deal and fell back on it. Makes you come off as kind of untrustworthy."

Mary raised the gun towards him, and Yellow-Eyes watched her warily. Mary then turned the gun in her hand, the handle pointing towards him. She walked slowly over to the devil's trap, watching him closely, and set the Colt down in the center of it.

Yellow-Eyes frowned. "What, you really think I'm that stupid?"

"No," said Mary. "But I'm not about to hand my son over when you could just disappear with him."

"I make a deal, I have to follow through," said Yellow-Eyes. He held up his hand, his first two fingers up. "Demon's honor."

Mary only glared at him.

Yellow-Eyes lowered his hand, shrugging. "Have it your way."

"You're going to step into the devil's trap," said Mary slowly. "I will hand you my son, and when you're finished, you are going to give him back, and I will let you out of the trap."

"How do I know you won't try to kill me once I'm trapped?" said Yellow-Eyes.

"You have the gun, don't you?" said Mary, gesturing to the Colt lying inside the devil's trap.

Yellow-Eyes narrowed his eyes at her, seeming to have an internal battle with himself. "And an exorcism?"

"Then you can come back from hell and kill me," said Mary. She raised her hand, her first two fingers up with a smirk. "Hunter's honor."

Yellow-Eyes rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Should've known better than to make a deal with a hunter. More trouble than it's worth…" he smirked, "almost." He thought for a moment before sighing. "Fine. You got a deal." He walked over to the devil's trap and reluctantly stepped inside. "Your turn."

Mary stepped over towards the corner of the warehouse, bending down to pick up a bundle of blankets. She turned back towards Yellow-Eyes, holding the bundle close. She slowly walked towards him and tried to keep her eyes from straying over to the other corner where John knelt with the boys, quietly working the angel summoning ritual.

***************************************************SPN*********************************************************************

"_I will hand you my son, and when you're finished, you are going to give him back, and I will let you out of the trap,"_ Mary told Yellow-Eyes over the speaker.

Sam and Dean sat at the desk, the microphone resting on top of the radio so they didn't hit the transmit button by mistake.

"You really think this is gonna work?" asked Sam.

"Well, if it doesn't, are we any more screwed then we've been the last twenty-four years?" Dean pointed out.

"_How do I know you won't try to kill me once I'm trapped?"_ said Yellow-Eyes.

"_You have the gun, don't you?"_ said Mary.

There was a pause over the speaker. _"And an exorcism?"_

"_Then you can come back from hell and kill me,"_ said Mary, the smirk almost palpable in her voice. _"Hunter's honor."_

"_Should've known better than to make a deal with a hunter,"_ said Yellow-Eyes. _"More trouble than it's worth…almost." _He sighed after a moment. _"Fine. You got a deal."_

Sam looked up at Castiel, who stood in front of the table. "You ready?"

Castiel nodded. There were footsteps over the speakers.

"_Your turn."_

Another voice began to whisper over the speaker as John began to summon Castiel.

"This has to happen quick," Dean told Castiel. "As soon as he's finished with the ritual, do your thing."

"Of course," said Castiel, stepping away from the desk a little as Sam moved his hand to hover over the button on the microphone.

*******************************************************SPN****************************************************************

Mary approached the devil's trap, looking regretfully down at the bundle in her arms. She knew she had to make it look like it really was Sam in her arms or the demon would know she was playing him. Mary brought the bundle up to her face, holding it close. She looked up at Yellow-Eyes, who was looking hungrily at what he thought was Sam.

Mary slowly brought the bundle down and began easing it towards the demon. She was trying to give John enough time to summon the angel. Once the demon held the blankets, he would know it wasn't a baby. As Mary's arms crossed the edge of the circle, Yellow-Eyes took the bundle from her, pulling it towards him. Mary backed away from the circle, waiting for the moment. The demon's eyes suddenly narrowed in suspicion as he held the blanket out to his side, letting it fall to the floor as it unraveled.

"Mary…" growled Yellow-Eyes. "We had a deal…"

"Now!" shouted John.

Sparks flew from the corner of the warehouse as John dropped the match into the bowl of herbs. A man in a black suit with brown hair down to his ears appeared on the other side of the warehouse. He stiffly frowned at the scene before him, seemingly very confused.

_Castiel…_ Mary realize, staring at the angel.

***************************************************SPN****************************************************************

"_Mary…"_ growled Yellow-Eyes. _"We had a deal…"_

"_Now!"_ shouted John.

Sam slammed his finger down on the microphone button to transmit as they heard the bowl of herbs ignite from the other end. Castiel raised his face towards the ceiling, spreading his arms out slightly to the side. A glow enveloped him as a loud, high-pitched hum filled the entire room. Dean covered his ears as Sam used his free hand to cover his own, shoving his shoulder up against his other ear.

_Please, God, let this work,_ prayed Sam.

*********************************************************SPN**************************************************************

A loud, high-pitched hum suddenly filled the room, emitting from the radio in the corner. Mary and Dean covered their ears as John placed his hands over Sam's ears. Castiel looked over at the radio, listening to the voice speaking in Enochian.

Yellow-Eyes spun around to look at the angel, eyes widening. "No…It can't be…Not here…"

The hum suddenly stopped, and the angel looked back at the demon, his face set and determined. The angel raised his hand towards the demon, but Yellow-Eyes raised his fist above his head, slamming it down on the concrete and breaking it where the edge of the devil's trap was. Yellow-Eyes waved his hand at Mary, who flew across the warehouse, landing by the wall.

Yellow-Eyes suddenly flew backwards and hit the wall, pinned to it, as Castiel walked towards him. Mary looked over at the demon as Castiel stood in the middle of the room, his hand still raised towards him. She slowly began moving towards the devil's trap, eyes focused on the Colt.

"What, are you gonna kill me, angel?" said Yellow-Eyes with a snarl. "You don't have the juice."

"I cannot kill you," said Castiel. "It is not heaven's orders."

Yellow-Eyes smiled smugly at the angel.

"But she does not require orders," said Castiel.

Yellow-Eyes glanced past Castiel to see Mary aiming the Colt at him, pulling the hammer back. Mary pulled the trigger, shooting the demon right through the heart. Castiel lowered his hand, and the demon dropped to the floor, stumbling on his feet. Yellow-Eyes looked dazedly down at the bullet wound as it sparked a little before looking up at Mary in shock. Mary smirked at him as the wound pulsed with light, lighting up his whole chest. The demon convulsed a couple times until he dropped to the floor, his eyes fading back to normal.

*********************************************SPN**********************************************************************

Sam and Dean clenched their eyes tight as new memories came flooding into their minds:

Dean grabbing his girlfriend and kissing her as they stood on the gym stage in their graduation robes…

Sam blowing out the eight candles on his birthday cake as Dean laughed when the trick candles flickered back to life…

Sam, Dean and John tossing a football around their backyard on a Sunday as they barbecued…

Sam holding his high school diploma up for his family to see as they cheered in the audience…

John training them as hunters in the backyard once they hit sixteen…

Dean laughing as he squished his sponge onto Sam's face next to the Impala as they washed it, Sam retaliating by spraying Dean with the hose…

Dean rushing over to the Impala in awe, keys in hand, as John gave the car to him on his sixteenth birthday…

Sam and Dean running around the backyard with their yellow Labrador Indy that they had gotten Christmas of '88…

Dean throwing his arm around Sam's shoulders as they laughed, making their way back towards the Impala with shovels in their hands after salting and burning a corpse…

Mary, John, Sam, Jessica and Dean gathered at the table at Christmas, sharing a dinner as Sam prepared to make a big announcement…

Sam and Dean looked at each other in shock at the desk. They looked up to see Castiel still standing across from them.

"Looks like we didn't change much," said Sam. He looked at Dean. "Do you think it worked?"

A knock came at the room door, and they all looked at each other before Dean got to his feet, heading to the door and opening it. Sam and Dean stared in shock as Sam got to his feet, slowly walking towards the door.

"Mom?" said Dean slowly.

Mary and John smiled at the two of them from the doorway.

"Dad?" said Dean.

"Hey, boys," said John.

He and Mary walked into the room, and John wrapped Dean in a hug as Mary hugged Sam. After a moment, John released Dean and hugged Sam as Mary also switched.

"It's…it's really you?" said Dean as he closed the door.

"Yeah, it's us," said Mary, smiling.

"What was it like?" asked Sam. He gestured at Dean and himself. "Like…did we know about it this whole time, or…"

"No, you didn't," said John. "So, when October 31, 2007 rolled around, the three of us decided to leave you two alone for a while. We didn't know how the transition would go."

"You two really remember how everything used to be?" asked Mary.

Sam nodded. "Including everything in between."

"Must be confusing," said Mary.

Dean shrugged with a smile. "It was worth it."

"And I really haven't had any visions or anything?" asked Sam.

John shook his head. "No, nothing."

Sam smiled as he looked at Dean, the tension finally leaving his face for the first time in two years. "It's over…It's really over…"

Dean smiled at him. "Yeah, Sammy, it's really over."

Sam sighed in relief, chuckling a little, before slowly stopping and frowning up at his parents. "Wait…the **three** of us?"

Another knocked came at the door, and John and Mary smiled at Sam, gesturing that he should get it. Sam stood from the bed and headed to the door, opening it to find Jessica standing on the other side.

Sam's eyes widened. "Jess…"

"Hi, Sam," said Jessica with a smile.

Sam suddenly recalled all his memories that had Jessica in them. _Of course…I met Jessica at Stanford before I decided to leave school, and we moved back to Lawrence…She wanted to become a hunter…We're getting married next month…_

Sam smiled as he pulled Jessica into his arms. "I missed you so much."

Jessica hugged him close. "It's all over now, baby."

Sam pulled away from her. "You know about everything?"

"About the alternate universe where I was killed two years ago by the demon that killed your mother?" said Jessica. She nodded. "Yeah, I learned about it after you told me all about hunting."

Dean walked over to them. "It's good to see you, Jessica."

"You, too, Dean," said Jessica. She looked back at Sam, her smile just getting bigger and bigger.

"What is it?" asked Sam.

"I've been waiting till tonight to tell you this," said Jessica. "I knew once tonight came, you would have all new memories. So…I didn't tell you this yet."

Sam frowned in confusion. "What?"

Jessica looked at his family before looking back at him. "I'm pregnant."

Sam's eyes widened. "Really?"

Jessica nodded with a huge grin. "Yeah, really."

"Oh, my God!" Sam exclaimed, wrapping Jessica in a big embrace.

Jessica wrapped her arms around his neck as she laughed happily. Sam set her down as Dean walked over.

"Congrats, man!" said Dean, slapping him on the shoulder. "That's awesome!"

"We're gonna be grandparents?" asked Mary, an arm around John.

Jessica nodded at them. The five of them looked over at Castiel, who still stood by the desk.

"Thank you, Cas," said Dean.

"You're welcome," said Castiel.

"So…where you headed now?" asked Sam.

"I'll be…around," said Castiel. "I will be there if you need me."

Dean placed his hand on Castiel's shoulder. "Feel free to drop by any time…within reason."

Castiel nodded before disappearing, leaving Dean clutching thin air. Dean lowered his hand as he turned towards everyone.

"Well…what now?" asked Sam, an arm around Jessica.

"I don't know about you guys," said Dean with a cocky smirk, "but I feel like kicking some ass and taking some names."

Sam looked around at his parents and his fiancé before smiling back at Dean. "Count us in."

**The End!**

**Hope you enjoyed! Jessica being pregnant was kind of a spur of the moment thing, but I loved the idea. The only sad part of this story is that now Sam and Dean never got to have Castiel as a best friend.**


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